Who Will Save Your Soul?
by eyeshadowlady
Summary: After Inoue is raped, she finds that she can’t trust or rely on anyone anymore. Rated M for rape, violence, and mature themes. Please R&R! Main char.s: Hime, Ichigo, Keigo, Sado, Ulquiorra
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Okay, I don't own Bleach. You can thank Kubo Tite for its existence.

I realize I've twisted a few things around and some of you may be a little horrified with a few, but I tried to keep them as in-character as possible. You'll understand a little later.

There is mention of the Ichi-Hime-Ruki love triangle, but only because the progression of the story depends on it. However, I don't intend to make any pairings, at least not with these three. Who knows though, we'll see where it goes. In any case, probably no real "happy" pairings.

Description: Inoue finds that she can't trust or rely on anyone anymore. Will anyone be there for her when she needs them, or will she go crazy? Rated M for rape, violence, and mature themes.

Warning: If you didn't read it before, this is going to take a dark turn. Don't expect lollipops and rainbows, kids.

Chapter One

"Where are you going, Kurosaki-kun?"

Long locks of brightly-colored orange hair; large, cheerful auburn eyes; a warm smile; a huge rack; the young boy executed a high-resolution scan of his affectionate classmate. She always seemed so content just to see him, and so sad upon seeing him go. Even on his glummest of days, he could always count on Inoue's joyful greeting and pleasant persona.

Of course, he found her attractive, and her presence was usually enjoyable; however, he just couldn't get past the typecast of the cheerful, naïve ditz. How can a person who's had any real life experience remain so optimistic? He shook his head. She couldn't possibly understand the complexities of the battles he fought within himself.

Giving his usual half-ass smile, Ichigo answered despondently. "Home. The old man's got a strict curfew when I'm not taking off for months at a time."

They were sitting on the river's edge, surrounded by green earth and a cool night's breeze. A full moon loomed overhead; not the romantic kind, but the kind you think of when you watch a scary movie, or sense something ominous approaching. Still, Inoue liked being under that moon, if only Kurosaki were under it, too.

"Oh. I'll see you tomorrow at school, Kurosaki-kun!" she shouted at his back, waving frantically to no avail. A small-framed, raven-haired girl walked beside him, carrying on some friendly quarrel they'd both soon forget about. As Inoue observed the girl, laughing and shouting insults at a certain short-tempered boy with spiky orange hair, her heart swelled with sadness.

_I know she's more than just a friend to you, Kurosaki-kun, _the young girl thought. Stubbornly, he refused to admit the true nature of the relationship with his companion. Maybe afraid of hurting her. Maybe afraid of his own feelings. However, the chemistry between the two was obvious, and, she thought, gave more reason to envy her rival.

She watched as the pair faded in the distance; appearing mere specks before completely disappearing from view. She had only come here in hopes of spending more time with Kurosaki-kun, and yet, it seemed he'd disregarded her being there the entire time. Not that she expected to have his full attention amidst a group of his buddies or anything, but she couldn't help feeling disappointed in his detached goodbye. _There was a time when you would have offered to walk me home. What happened, Kurosaki-kun?_

"Ichigo! Stop being such an ass!" The black-haired girl at his side shouted at her comrade, irate. In case he didn't get the hint, she doubled the scolding with a punch to the face—holding back, though remaining forceful.

"What the hell was that for, bitch!" Apparently the punch wasn't effective enough.

"Idiot! You were totally rude back there to Inoue-san!" Her face demonstrated clear annoyance.

"Oh." His anger soon subsided and he reflected on his conduct during the get-together with his friends, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "I guess I hadn't paid any attention. I'll apologize to her at school tomorrow."

"You weren't paying attention? What the hell is wrong with you, Ichigo?" Rukia's heated expression soon changed to one of concern.

"It's… nothing, really." Refusing to disclose his problems with his friend, he simply looked to the darkening sky; his mind once again plagued by an anguish none of his friends could ever understand.

The girl could only stare at her distressed comrade, unable to say or do anything to provide console. She became fixated on the reflection of the moon's light in his eyes, wondering what that moon could do to ease his suffering that she, nor any other, could. _If only I were the moon; would you gaze upon me that way?_ Embarrassed for having ogled him for so long, Rukia turned her head back to her own feet and the path that lay ahead of them.

"Heeeey, Inoue-san! Why the long face?" The usually chipper Orihime snapped back to reality as Keigo probed her. "Oh no! Now that Ichigo is gone, even Orihime is forlorn! There's no need to feel uncomfortable or anything though, Inoue! I don't know what Ichigo's deal is tonight, but he sure can bring down the mood! Don't worry though! With Ichigo absent, we might actually have some fun around here!!!"

The young girl smiled unconvincingly, shivering in the night's air. With Rukia and Ichigo gone, her only remaining company was Ichigo's annoying, hyperactive side-kick; the rather dull, overconfident, four-eyed quincy, Ishida; Mizuiro, Ichigo's womanizing, more standoffish sidekick; and the absurdly quiet Sado. She really wasn't all too comfortable with Keigo at this point, having never spent much time socializing with her crush's friends, but her comrades being there gave her a sense of safety.

"I think this is where the fun ends for me. Sorry, Asano-san. See you all tomorrow." Mizuiro flashed a friendly smile at the group as Keigo's jaw dropped from the betrayal.

"You'll be sorry for this Mizuiro! And you will regret your lapse in judgment tomorrow at school, when we tell you how much fun we had! Unless we have so much fun, we don't even show up at school tomorrow!!" Mizuiro was unconvinced, waving back at his friend while simultaneously waving all the blabber he spouted away, as well.

Ishida stood. "I'm afraid I'll be taking my leave, as well. I have," he paused a moment to readjust his spectacles, "homework to do." With that, the quirky quincy disappeared into the night, sewing bag in tow.

Inoue tensed up a little now, with one of her friends gone. The presence of Sado put her a little at ease, though; he was familiar, someone she could trust. She'd fought beside him; heck, he'd even saved her a couple of times. His dark brown eyes shone with a kindness and regret for all the opponents he'd defeated; a regret which, he felt, was only justified by the threat they posed to his comrades and his need to protect them.

"Inoue, have you ever had sake?" An exuberant Keigo quizzed the girl, who looked visibly flabbergasted by the question. Her silence signified to Keigo that the answer was no. Unzipping his school bag and digging around a bit, Keigo revealed the bottles he'd stolen from his elder sister, looking quite pleased with himself for the thievery.

Sado looked at his classmate with some mix of curiosity and apprehension. "I don't think this is such a good idea. Besides, it's already twelve thirty, and it's a school night."

Keigo could only stare at Sado as if the words escaping his lips were foreign to him. He stared; he blinked; he stared; he blinked again. "Yeaaaaahhh… Okay." Readjusting his position as he sat, cross-legged on the grassy knoll (no, not talking about the "who shot JFK" grassy knoll), his eyes narrowed suspiciously. "You didn't seem to care last month when you took off from school with no explanation. Come on, live a little. You and Ichigo and Inoue and…" he shuddered with the next name, "God forbid, even Ishida; you're always taking off and having fun without me! Look, it's not going to kill you. We'll stay for a little while, and if you really don't like it, you can go home."

With his words of encouragement, he handed Sado a bottle of the mysterious brew. Sado wasn't entirely convinced, but, feeling pressured, he sighed in exasperation and took his first swig. _It's not so bad_, he thought to himself. _I don't feel any different._

"Come on, Inoue. Try it," Keigo coerced, offering the girl her own drink.

She hesitated, reluctant to give in to the boy's notion of a "good time". "Just say no," the teachers would urge students in class. "No to what?" kids would inquire, wary of the unspecific warning. "No to everything," they would reply. This, of course, only tempted students even more, giving them a sense of danger in engaging in something "forbidden".

Finally, though, she extended her hand and seized the brew from his, slowly bringing it to her lips and glancing at Sado for reassurance. His eyes met hers, still a bit uncertain himself, but giving her a sense of protection in case anything should go wrong. She tilted the bottle upward and the liquid tickled her throat as it made its journey downstream.

_It wasn't so bad_, she thought. _It wasn't so good, either—but it wasn't so bad._


	2. Chapter 2

Warning: Okay, as I said before, rated M. I won't go into explicit detail, but this will be a mature theme. This chapter is basically "leading up" to what happens and giving you an idea of where the characters' heads are at and how things progress. A little bit of humor, but don't expect a whole lot in this story as it's a serious matter and I don't want to taint that.

I try to update quickly, but reviews and encouragement are helpful! I like to know that people are reading and enjoying it, or else I'm unmotivated to finish. I'm open to criticism and suggestions for the story or how you'd like it to progress. Just no flaming, please.

Chapter Two

"I don't think I like sake very much," Inoue choked, a nauseated look on her face.

"Ah, ya just gotta get used to it! It'll grow on ya. Just drink it faster and you won't even notice," Keigo advised, paying little attention to the look of disgust on the girl's face as she fought back the urge to vomit.

So far, Inoue had only finished one beer to Keigo's three and Sado's four. She noticed that, as big as he was, Sado was still an inexperienced drinker and showing signs of intoxication. The first sign was that he spoke. The second sign was, of what he spoke.

"Hey, Keigo. How big d'ya think her boobs are? I mean, if you were to guess offhand." He whispered this as though to conceal, but said it loud enough to make it obvious to the girl in question.

"I dunno, Chado. I'd say maybe a D, to estimate," he guessed, inspecting her frame more closely, as though he were a doctor checking for tumors.

"What the fuck, D? Those are at least double D's." Sado challenged defensively.

"You may be right. But there's only one way to know for sure. Hey, Inoue," Keigo concluded, his voice rising as though she hadn't heard the rest of their debate. "Chado and I were just wondering… what size are, you know, your breasts?"

Inoue blushed, looking downward meekly at her own body, which she was becoming increasingly more uncomfortable with. "Um. Double D, I think," she mumbled self-consciously. _What did it matter?_ she thought.

"Holy shit, dude! Can we see them?" Keigo was growing progressively more self-assured, daring to ask such smack-worthy queries.

Normally Tatsuki would be on him within seconds of even THINKING of asking such a thing. _Where is Tatsuki when I really need her?_ the young girl asked herself, imagining the brutal blows the poor boy would suffer in such a circumstance. _I shouldn't have just assumed Ichigo would stick around to watch over me. I'm so… stupid._

"N…No, of course not!" she stuttered, panicking a little at the boy's sudden straight-forwardness.

"Whoa, whoa, calm down Inoue-san! It's cool; I respect that," he reassured her, his hands raised in surrender. "How 'bout we play a game?"

Inoue's ears perked up. She always loved playing games with Tatsuki-chan. Like, hide and go seek in the dark (she always loved rearranging the furniture and hearing her friend stumble and fall flat on her face!), house (they became the new-generation family, led by two struggling lesbian parents), even truth or dare! _What kind of games did boys play?_ she wondered.

Sado looked like a lost puppy, confused and eyes glazed over. It looked as though he could understand and decode the crickets chirping more than he could translate the rambling of his classmate; the mastermind of the evening. He merely followed suit; not particularly "all-there" but still somewhat participating.

"It's called, 'I have never.' You've probably played it before, but this one has a twist. Every time you've done something you hear, you have to take a drink."

Inoue tensed up, recognizing the "game". This was what boys did for fun? She didn't understand the point behind this; but she knew Keigo had something up his sleeve. Immediately her mind searched for anything she might not wish to admit that she'd done in her life. _Really, I'm pretty innocent. I don't see how I could lose this game._

Forming a circle on the damp grass, the group began their first round. Inoue noticed how the moon had seemed to cloud over and even the stars began to hide behind a night's sky. Not even the moon watched over her any longer.

Keigo started. "Okay. I have never… had a vagina," he blurted, cackling at his clever concept of the game. "Drink up, Inoue-chaaaan!" he mocked, tilting her drink to force more down her throat. "Come on, you're just sipping! You have to drink more than that!"

Sado's turn. "I have never… um… drank alcohol." Glancing at the bottle in his hand, he went into hysterics, lifting his bottle in salute to both his friends.

The three made their toast to the lie, Inoue nervously chugging more this time so that Keigo wouldn't force her to once more. Feeling the nasty brew flow at even greater speeds and quantities, her eyes widened. Her stomach was queasy and her body was telling her to vomit.

"You okay, Orihime?" a dazed Sado asked his friend, genuinely concerned.

She nodded, not really believing it herself. "Yeah, I'm fine, thanks."

"Your turn, Inoue-chan!" stressed an exuberant Keigo.

Swallowing a bit of her own saliva, her mouth becoming dry with the anxiety, she pushed herself to continue. "Um… I have never…" she thought of something she had never done that the boys might have. Kissed a girl? She shook her head; no, Keigo had probably never even come close. She had to think of something good. "I have never watched a porno!" she exclaimed, giggling to herself for her witty submission.

Sado lifted his bottle, preparing to drink once more, but Keigo held his bottle before it could tilt any further; clearly perturbed by Inoue's suggestion. "That's not how you play the game, Inoue!" he roared, the veins on his forehead bulging. "You don't say something you've NEVER done. You have to say something you actually HAVE done so that you can drink!" he corrected the girl, his voice calming.

Inoue was perplexed by his double-standards. "But you—" she started, before being immediately cut off.

"I've already had over three bottles by now! You haven't even finished two yet!" he lectured, justifying the tweak in the game.

She nodded slightly, not persuaded by his reasoning but unable to argue with him. "Alright. Um… I guess… I have never… kissed a boy!" she declared, taking a swig, embarrassed by the admission. In truth, her only "kiss" was a peck on the cheek; but what the heck, she wouldn't let them know!

Keigo shuffled nervously in his place. Suspiciously, he turned his back to them for a second. When he faced them once again, he had a sheepish expression on his face, a bit subdued by whatever he'd done with his back to the others. Sado's pupils expanded in realization.

"Did you just take a drink, dude?" he pried, eyeing his friend.

"What? No way, man! I never kissed a dude! That's disgusting! Why would you even ask me that?!" Keigo shouted defensively, with a nervous glitch in his speaking.

"Um… whatever, man. Your turn," Sado submitted, deciding that he'd rather not know any more.

"I have never… seen Inoue topless!" he chimed, grinning at Sado and turning his attention to Inoue.

She sighed in exasperation, finishing off the remainder of her sake for having seen her own breasts. The game's stupidity was becoming clear to her. The boys cheered her on though, imagining what such a view might be like and envious of her for keeping such a thing to herself.

Sado took a moment to reflect before coming to a decision. "I have never… worn flower hairpins!" he proclaimed with a wink to Inoue.

Keigo handed the red-headed girl a third bottle and watched, with great cheer, as she relinquished all power to the sake; her face twisted in repulsion. _This is too much fun,_ he thought to himself. _I can't believe my luck!_ In truth, he'd been waiting for an opportunity like this to arise for a long time; his ego taking many blows with every boast Mizuiro made, or every girl that staked claim on Ichigo. _If I had Inoue-san,_ he fantasized, _wouldn't Ichigo just be furious? The bastard. She was eyeballing him from the moment he walked into her life, and he doesn't even give her the time of day. He completely takes for granted that, at any moment, if he wanted to have his way with her, it'd take no effort at all._

Inoue's head began to spin. She couldn't even focus on her classmates any longer. Her mind raced, but at the same time, it hurt to think. All she wanted to do was close her eyes and become lost in Kurosaki-kun's sweet embrace…

"Inoue-san! Inoue-san, are you okay?" Keigo asked, forced concern overlying blunt apathy.

She nodded and lifted herself back off the ground, rubbing her head—sore from the impact. "One more round, then we'll go home."

Keigo nodded in agreement, helping her sit back up and balancing her with two carefully-placed hands—one just below her chest and one supporting her back. She shook him off, feeling uneasy with his touch.

"I have never skipped class, just 'because'!" Inoue announced unenergetically, taking a big gulp of the substance; still fearing Keigo's coercion to drink more. Sado joined her in drinking to this one, having skipped himself a few times unnecessarily.

Keigo whined. "I'd have skipped too, you know; but sempai-san never lets me! It's not fair!"

Inoue steadied herself, becoming a little estranged from her surroundings. _I need to go home,_ she thought. _Soon._

Sado eyed her worriedly, noticing that the protective barrier that usually surrounded her had crumbled. He looked down at the bottle in his hand. _Is this my fifth or sixth bottle?_ he pondered to himself, unable to answer. Even though he was a big and muscular guy, he still didn't know just how much he could handle, or how much it would affect him.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: Okay, this was a lot more explicit than I'd predicted. I'm sorry. And I'm sorry to Sado fans. And I'm sorry to Keigo fans! UGH! Lol. But it had to be written.

This chapter will make you blush and feel bad for reading it. You should feel bad. Bad, bad you! Reading and not reviewing! ;)

Chapter Three

Sado's eyes examined Inoue's body hungrily, unable to suppress the pleading of his body. Had he always felt this way when he looked at Inoue-san? He winced, recalling the pain of withholding his emotions for the first girl to treat him like a human and not a monster. _She loves Ichigo, _he'd told himself, sensing the change in her mood with every appearance of Kurosaki. _I'd never have a chance._

He didn't _"love"_ her or anything like that. Sado simply enjoyed the always-cheery company of Inoue-san, and, as a boy on the brink of manhood, it was only natural to find himself attracted to a finely-crafted woman like Inoue. _Such perfect curves,_ he thought to himself. _Ichigo is such an idiot._

Still, it seemed wrong, in a way, to feel this way right now, towards a girl who seemed so vulnerable and incapable of sensible judgment. He disregarded his conscience for the moment, though, and listened to the callings of his body; finally having the nerve to make such a move as his own barrier disintegrated. Inching forward, his eyes locked on hers, full of fright and uncertainty, he stroked her cheek gently. _Here it goes,_ he thought, closing his eyes and leaning forward.

_What's going on? _Inoue thought, her mind still spinning and the scenery blurring around her. All she could see was an outline of Sado's powerful figure approaching. _What is he doing?_

As his hand gently caressed her cheek, Inoue felt all her apprehension fade into his comforting touch. His large, bronze lips brushed against hers, enticing her to return the motion. Their lips parted and his tongue slivered against hers, sending shivers down his spine. He cocked his head to the opposite side, his tongue forcing its way deeper, harder, more fervently. His lips formed a smirk against hers as he felt her push back.

_What am I doing?_ she wondered, unsure of herself. It felt as though all her thoughts and worries had subsided; giving way to only the body's impulses, ignoring the logic that normally plagued her mind. _What about… Kurosaki-kun? _That stopped her. She froze, pulling away from the kiss in a momentary return of awareness of her situation. _This is wrong, _she insisted. _This isn't Kurosaki-kun._

"What's wrong?" inquired the agitated Sado; his body still craving hers.

She shook her head, backing away slowly, fearful of the looks he was giving her. _This isn't like Sado,_ she detected, her body trembling. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words would come out. What was wrong with her? Why couldn't she say anything?

Backing away, she noticed a sudden halt in her steps and a sturdy structure pressing against her. She could feel a warm breath on the back of her neck, sending tremors through her body. Powerful arms wrapped around her, tightening their hold to keep her still. She thrust herself against them, trying to break free, failing to do so. A wicked chuckle arose from the boy, masking irritation with yet another insult to his confidence.

Keigo had watched in shock and horror as his friend made the first move toward his target. _I hadn't counted on him being in the picture,_ he remarked. _That was a lapse in my judgment._ He'd been the mastermind in this whole night, after all; his scheme had been moving along smoothly up until this point. Why should Sado have what he'd worked so hard for? To just swoop in and, and—UGH! He just couldn't take it; the anger boiled within him, causing him to lash out against the girl. This was his chance to steal the spotlight once again.

"Your _Kurosaki-kun_ isn't here to save you, Inoue-chan," Keigo mocked, hissing in her ear. "But don't worry. Ichigo won't find out about this. It'll be our little secret."

_What did he mean? Find out about what?_ She tensed up, gritting her teeth, unable to come up with a comeback. She didn't want to question him; something inside her was convinced that if she didn't ask the questions, she wouldn't get the answers.

"You're curious, right? Your mind is begging for answers, but you're not willing to open yourself up to them. You don't have to fret, Inoue. There will be no begging."

Even Sado looked on in bewilderment, unable to determine the boy's meaning. _Just what did he have in mind?_ Keigo, oozing with jealousy, was determined to make Sado cringe with envy. For once, _he_ would be the one looked up to. No more laughing at his ineptness. No more desperate attempts at getting attention. He took a moment to fantasize about herds of girls encircling him, drooling with lust, as streams of men looked on in anger and jealousy.

Using one arm to maintain his hold on the resistant girl, Keigo encouraged himself to continue with his plan. His other hand, meanwhile, explored other regions of her body; tracing circles on the flesh beneath her blouse and forcing its way down, down… until his destination was reached. The soft feel of her virgin cavity enticed him to let out a soft moan as he stiffened. He licked his lips thirstily, letting a finger slide into her tight, moistening hole. It felt so good, and he only wanted more. He grinned, getting another idea, sensing an arousing response from the girl. The more she resisted, the wilder he became.

Shifting holes, he pulled his finger out and made entry into a new access point. His finger already wet from her fluids, he penetrated, sending signals of pain straight through Inoue's spine. That made it all the more enjoyable.

"Ahh!" The girl couldn't hold back the tears or the screams any longer as she felt the violation within her. _Why is this happening?_ she cried.

"Shh," he consoled her disdainfully.

She bit her lip, holding back any further signs of weakness. It would only satisfy him further, she resolved. She could only cringe with each motion, detaching herself from her body as much as she could.

Becoming bored with a lack of response, Keigo withdrew his finger. _Maybe he's given up, now,_ she hoped. He grinned, signaling that her hope would quickly vanish. "I think it's time to see what you've been hiding under those clothes, Inoue."

A huge lump developed in her throat; she swallowed, hoping to diminish it, but to no avail. Keigo lifted her shirt, pulling her arms through the sleeves and marveling at the vision of perfection. He tossed the shirt aside, reaching to unhook the bra—a more troublesome task than he'd assumed, he thought, taking a bit longer than expected to remove the concoction. At last, his efforts were not in vain! Two large, flawless globes loomed before him. He couldn't help himself anymore.

No longer fearing resistance as he sensed the girl's stiff figure, frozen from shock, he bent down to investigate her breasts further. Pinching the nipples between two fingers, he observed her face contorting, fighting back the urge to whimper. Her face formed a grimace, letting just a whisper escape her lips. He stopped. He couldn't take it anymore.

He slipped her long, Asian flower-patterned skirt off of her delicate feet; her panties followed suit. He gaped at the girl's exposed flesh, unable to restrain himself. He was painfully aroused now and incapable of turning back. He quickly discarded his own pants and boxers, wasting no time now. The girl looked so helpless, standing there, naked. It only turned him on more.

Inoue couldn't move. Her limbs remained frigid at her side; her mind overwhelmed by any attempted plan of escape she found herself unable to carry out. _Even if I escaped,_ she thought, _I'd be naked. There's nothing to stop him from coming after me. I don't even have a cell phone. _Her only hope was Sado. She gazed at the boy with pained eyes, pleading with him to do something, anything to stop him. _He's a powerful guy. Keigo wouldn't stand a chance against him._

Sado could only stare on as the girl was bent over, a sadistic grin forming on Keigo's face. _Why can't I move?_ he asked himself, frozen solid from disbelief. Her long, flowing orange hair covered her face now, hiding those pained eyes that seemed to cast a spell on him. And yet, somehow, despite seeing her anguished expression, his body resisted his mind's disputes.

Keigo had made up his mind. He would penetrate the girl anally first and foremost; finding it much more pleasurable to hear her writhe in pain, despite the equally arousing sensation both virgin holes provided him. Beaming with a malicious joy he didn't even know was within him, he thrust inward, guiding himself with his thumb (partially because he feared she might not feel him at all). Her screams sent shivers of ecstasy through his veins. He motioned slowly at first, unable to gain momentum with her tightening muscles—if she'd only realize, it would be less painful if she just relaxed them—but finally was able to penetrate more violently, fueled by his jealous rage and his need to build his ego.

Tears streamed the girl's face, unable to suppress the screams or the pain any longer. She felt a sense of lost reality; this wasn't real, couldn't be real, she told herself. She could only numb herself, becoming lost in another world that she prayed she'd wake up to.

Doom

Doom 

Doom

I think that's enough smut. Actually, it was a bit too much, but I worry about taking any more out. Please **Read & Review**, I feel unmotivated to finish this without encouragement! It's kind of depressing to see that people view my story but don't comment—it makes me wonder if there's something they don't like that they didn't wish to continue, or something. I don't know. I'm self-conscious!

In any case, more to come! Please give feedback! Also, who do you think should console Inoue/come to her "rescue"? I'm still debating and I can't decide! I think I'm leaning toward Rukia myself.

A. Rukia

B. Ichigo

C. Tatsuki

D. Ishida

E. Kon

F. No one; I want to see her suffer, mwahahaha!

It kind of helps to know what readers prefer to read :p. I usually selfishly write however I feel, but I'm stuck on this one! Lol.


	4. Chapter 4

Okay, I had to add a little humor to off-set the DEPRESSING mood. Buuut then it goes back to uber-sad. Lol. Don't worry, folks. This is the last chapter detailing these graphic scenes, promise. **Warning: rape, violence, and character defilation**.

Please Read & Review!

Chapter Four

"There's a strange smell in the air." Rukia sat up from her futon in Ichigo's closet, suddenly wide awake. She whipped out her cell phone; no hollow activity. _Just what is going on?_

"Yeah; sorry," mumbled a sleeping Ichigo from across the room, misinterpreting her meaning entirely.

The air, once warm and tranquil, now raged upon the children with fierce winds and a summer chill. Inoue shivered as a gust of wind caused goose bumps to form on her unclothed skin. _It shouldn't be this cold this time of the year_. She bit her lip, trying to focus on the cold. _Maybe if I focus more on this discomfort, I can numb myself a bit from what's happening. _She tried.

_No. It's not working._

"Please stop," the girl pleaded between sobs, "I have to go home!"

"We can't stop now. You'd be missing the best part," Keigo retorted, motioning for his intoxicated, immobile friend to step forward.

"Stop! It hurts!" Inoue cried; some part of her mind believing that somehow, he hadn't been aware this whole time, and it didn't just encourage him more.

She felt as though she'd deciphered the secret code to breaking free of this. Suddenly, everything stopped. Keigo stopped. His hands still held her arms behind her back tightly, but he'd pulled out upon hearing the girl's utterance. Had he come to a realization? Was the regret sinking in?

"It's okay. It's okay, Inoue. We don't want to hurt you," Keigo cooed, stressing the "we" just a little more than necessary. He nodded to Sado, compelling him to follow his instructions. "Kiss her," the boy hypnotically instructed his oblivious friend.

Sado looked like a missing child looking for directions home. He no longer had any sense of where he was or what he was witnessing. He looked to his classmate, his stomach turning. His actions were no longer his; following Keigo's every command with no hesitation. Sado kneeled down and stroked Inoue's cheek, his fingers lingering, brushing her lips and chin with delicacy; wiping away the tears that continued to stream. He bent in, pressing his lips against hers in a soft kiss as if to say, "I'm here for you." Of course, the kiss meant nothing of the sort—far from.

Keigo grinned wildly, pleased with his modification of his original plan. He would make good use of Sado, after all. And Sado appeared to be a perfect puppet, proving quite a bit more entertaining than he'd have ever guessed. So obedient, like a dog barking on command. He was preparing Sado for the next phase in his scheme.

"Now, Sado's going to take over for a little while, Inoue-chan. You like Sado, right? You know he'd never hurt you," he taunted, dangling a small fragment of trust and relief in front of the girl, well knowing it would soon be shattered.

He let the deceivingly gentle demonstration continue just a little bit longer, until he felt Sado might be easiest to convince. The girl was still tense, though; still eyeing him eerily, as though knowing full well that he was manipulating the situation entirely. The look made Keigo shudder a little. _Creepy. It's like she sees through my plot despite being naïve and drunk._

"Now; unzip your pants," Keigo encouraged his companion. Continuing to kiss the frantic girl, Sado did as he was told, letting his pants fall to the dew-ridden soil. "Suck it," he commanded the girl still within his hold.

Inoue's eyes widened in fright, searching Sado's eyes for some kind of spirit left behind them. She couldn't even find a flicker of that light she'd seen before; only a bleak semblance of consciousness manipulated by a puppeteer's masterful string-pulling. He'd stopped kissing her, pulling away and standing with his appendage exposed and saluting the sky.

"I said, _**Suck it!**_" roared an outraged Keigo, forcing Inoue's head down upon Sado's much larger member. He could hear her still muffling, clenching her teeth in resistance. It pissed him off.

Keigo, abandoning his idea of "gaining trust", thrust inward once again—the unforeseen action causing her to convulse, screaming from the sudden rush of pain. He loved seeing her squirm, her pretty face contorting into an anguished scream. As her mouth gaped open to let out a horrible cry, he shoved her face forward, tightly gripping the back of her head and guiding her to slide up and down Sado's groin. She gagged, resisting the foreign object being forced down her throat, her teeth scraping the surface but still unable to will herself to bite down. _Somehow, I still don't want to hurt Sado._ Saliva trickled down her chin distastefully. She wasn't even able to wipe it away.

"You like it, don't you, bitch?" Keigo ridiculed, dropping the phony friendship illusion completely.

She shook her head, tears still streaming and resisting the motions his hand was coercing her to resume. Aggravated with her defiance, he only pushed harder against her head, fucking her mercilessly. _It's even starting to hurt _me_ a bit, _he mused to himself, refusing to let up. _That's okay. If it hurts me, it must hurt her twice as much._

Inoue caved in completely. The darkness around her swirled into a black cloud, closing in on her and gradually enveloping her completely. She couldn't keep her eyes open any longer. Her eyes clamped shut, she began to drift off into a dream world; hoping when or if she woke up, this would all just be a bad dream.

**"**_**Kurosaki…kun…"**_ His face was gleaming in the sun's bright rays, beaming as he ran towards the orange-haired beauty as though he hadn't seen her in years. He cradled her in his arms, tightly embracing her, fearing that her life depended on it. "I won't let anybody hurt you," he vowed, gently kissing her forehead and brushing away her stale tears. _I don't deserve your protection, Kurosaki-kun…_

"Inoue! Inoue, wake up! Don't pass out on us!"

Inoue winced as she tried to open her heavy eyelids, at a loss for where she was or how she got there. Two blurry faces loomed overhead; she could just barely make them out. Long, brown hair swayed in a soft summer night's breeze; chaotic, coal-black waves concealed the eyes of a bronze-skinned, muscular individual. She recognized them as two boys from her class—one being a comrade of hers on her many adventures with Kurosaki-kun.

"Uuughhh. Why do I hurt so much? I feel sick…" she muttered, holding her pounding head. The memories came back to her in a flash. Keigo, and, and Sado, had—no, it couldn't be real. Her classmates would never do such a thing. But still… an indescribable pain was pulsating in her vaginal and anal regions; and the images were too real, too gruesome to be anything her mind would make up.

"Inoue-chan! Are you okay? We were worried about you!" Keigo leaned inward, inspecting the girl with worry-ridden eyes.

Her eyes narrowed, leery of her classmate's forged concern. If this had all, in fact, been a hallucination… where were her clothes?

"I have to go home. I really need to go," she insisted, repeating herself with increasing emphasis. She stood up, dizzy and unstable, falling back into Keigo's arms.

"You're too drunk to go home, Inoue. We don't want you going home in your condition," Keigo asserted, lifting her back to her feet and gripping her wrists with unnecessary pressure.

"I'll be fine," she countered, attempting to break free of the boy's hold.

He glared at her, his insincere worry subsiding. "You're staying. I'm not done with you yet."

In an instant, Keigo grabbed her by the waist, lifting her delicate frame and slinging her over his shoulder like a used gym towel. She kicked frantically, swinging her arms and legs in hopes that the imbalance would throw him off. Instead, he carried her to the river's edge, laying her naked body on the ground with his legs pinning her wrists above her head.

"After seeing you with Chado, I must admit I became a little jealous. I wanted you all to myself." He fingered at her crotch a bit, intrigued. "Your pussy's so swollen, it's unbelievable. You must have really enjoyed it," he remarked. His touch sent an intense blast of pain to the affected area.

Her eyes widened with the realization and she clenched her mouth shut tightly, rocking her body violently in resistance. She knew what he wanted. And now, after passing out for she didn't know how long, she felt like she had gained some control and sobered up slightly. _Please, no more. I can't take any more. I need to get away!_ Seeing her lash out crazily, Keigo loosened up a bit in curiosity. Her resistance was much stronger now, and he felt as though he'd lost his ability to fully control the situation. He needed to act, fast. She was going to get away, and he had to make sure that when she did, he remained in the clear.

"Don't tell anyone about this. It's just our little secret, okay? Besides," he added, smirking a little bit, "I don't think Ichigo would think much of you, knowing all you'd left for him was our leftovers."

She nodded, the truth of his words sinking in. What would Ichigo think of her, knowing what she'd done? "I won't tell."

To her amazement, he lifted his hold on her wrists completely, allowing her to roam freely. "It's too bad though. I didn't even get to finish," he scoffed bitterly to the girl's back.

Sado looked on with a dull expression on his face. Inoue couldn't bear to turn to face him. How _could he just stand by and let Keigo take advantage of me like that?_ _What's worse—he even became a part of it_. She walked on, wincing with each step. _Will I really be able to make it home like this?_ she wondered, cringing as she bid her goodbyes to the river, which had served her little protection in the midst of her distress. _What the hell am I going to do?_

Yay!

No

More

Rape! XD

Okay, so she's gotten away now, but will she make it home okay in so much pain? And what about school tomorrow?! How will she ever face her friends? How will she ever face Keigo or Sado again?

Thanks for everyone who gave feedback, it was much appreciated and will be helpful in the chapters to come! Check back for Chapter 5! (I have to work the next few days so no promises of when to expect more)

If you have any comments or suggestions, let me know! your ideas may just inspire me. Sorry for the graphic nature of this, it's a deeper plot than most. I'll explain a bit more later. for now, tata!


	5. Chapter 5

The aftermath.

Getting inside the heads of a few of our characters—Inoue, Ichigo, Rukia, and Chad.

Some IchiHollow fun (you can call his hollow whatever you want to call him).

Chapter 5

Each stride the girl made brought her to tears. A sharp pain shot through her as her thighs brushed against one another, colliding with her swollen labia. She didn't want to walk anymore; but she knew if she gave up now, Keigo would catch up with her, or she'd pass out on the sidewalk.

She looked down, sobbing hysterically with every pained step forward. She'd managed to grab her clothes from the dampened ground as she walked away. The wet clothes clung to her body tightly. The cool night air came at her full-force, freezing the dew-soaked fabric to her skin uncomfortably.

_Just a little bit further, _she told herself. She could see her home not too far from here—just about a block away. Had she really only been that far from home all this time? Strange; it had seemed an unreachable destination before. But the painful strides made the journey feel like an eternity from ending.

At last, she was on her doorstep. Inoue fumbled with her keys; still shivering from the arctic winds that crashed against her. The door opened, and a calm, heated room hit her instantly. This was her safe haven. She slammed the door shut, being sure to lock even the deadbolt, before running to her bedroom—ignoring the pain that pulsated from the act.

"Onee-chan! Onee-chan!" she cried to the empty room. A picture frame holding a portrait of her departed brother stared back at her, as she crashed to the floor, knees spread in an unbecoming manner. "I wish you were here, Onee-chan," she whimpered, wiping the tears with a clenched fist.

_He wouldn't want to see me like this,_ she reminded herself, but to no avail. Maybe not—but if he was still alive, she was certain he would never have to.

"It hurts, Onee-chan…" the girl confessed, rubbing her still-frozen arms. "It hurts to sit, it hurts to walk; it even hurts to lie down."

She looked down at her damp clothes. _Maybe I should change out of them_, she thought to herself, reminded of the cold and not wanting to make herself any sicker. She lifted the blouse over her head slowly, careful not to put too much pressure on her wounds. She cringed, dreading the next article of clothing she'd have to take off. She stood on her feet once again, keeping her legs spread apart as wide as she could manage, taking her skirt and panties off inch by inch.

"Ahh!" She couldn't help but cry as the panties unglued themselves from her swollen lips. She slid the last two articles of clothing off her legs, relieved to be rid of them but still in pain.

_I want to die…_

This didn't feel real. _This sort of thing can't happen to me_, she thought to herself. She sighed, not wanting to think about it anymore. The weariness was weighing down on her now, tempting her to close her eyes despite the tremendous pain. She looked at the phone in the corner of her room. _Should I call the police?_

_No. I can't tell anybody. No one can know._

She hesitated. A big part of her wanted to talk to someone desperately. To be cradled in the arms of one who loved her, and told that everything would be alright. A big part of her wanted that person to be Ichigo.

But it wouldn't be. She couldn't tell Ichigo what happened. She couldn't look him in the eyes, and admit that she wasn't strong enough to defend herself. That once again, she'd been counting on him to save her, to protect her. Ichigo had his own issues to deal with.

Tatsuki-chan. She stood up, walking towards the phone. Stopped.

Tatsuki-chan would kill them. She had threatened to kill before, but for this? She definitely would. Sado, too.

_I can't tell Tatsuki-chan._

She fumbled with the telephone cord, twirling the little spirals around her index finger. She wondered, _What will I even say if he answers?_ Without even realizing it, she dialed his number. The phone rang.

Rrrriiiiiiiinnnggg.

Rrrriiiiiiiinnnggg.

Rrrriiiiiiiinnnggg.

Ichigo grumbled and cursed under his breath, annoyed with the shrill sound coming from the side of his bed. He looked at his alarm clock. Who the fuck was calling him at 4:33 in the morning?

"Fucking Keigo," he growled. Only his intoxicated, already annoying friend would be calling at this time. He glanced at his cell phone. It was a number he didn't recognize, but residential at least. He debated whether or not to answer the phone; knowing the interruption would keep him from going back to sleep should he answer. "I'll call the person back later. I'm sure it was just a wrong number."

The sound of Ichigo's phone going off caused Rukia to stir. She listened attentively for Ichigo's irritated response, but, much to her astonishment, he let the phone continue ringing. _Just answer the damn phone. _She stared at the closet ceiling, unable to return to her dream world. _I have a bad feeling, Ichigo._

"…Kurosaki Ichigo. I'm not able to get to my phone right now, but if you'll leave a name, number, and a short message, I'll get back to—"

_Click._

She hung up the phone, panting. She'd gotten his voicemail. What the hell would she say in a voicemail to him? "Oh, sorry to call you at 4:33 in the morning. Don't mind me; I was just RAPED and thought maybe, I don't know, you'd talk to me and keep me from killing myself. By the time you get my voicemail, I'll probably already be dead!"

No. That wasn't anything like something she'd say. Possibly how she felt, but definitely not Inoue-like.

_What the hell dictates what I'm supposed to be like, anyway? What, now I suddenly have to "act how I would act in this situation"? Based off of what, previous experience?_

She grabbed her throbbing head. It hurt. She couldn't keep her eyes open any longer. Somehow between the pain in her head and the pain elsewhere, she dozed off into an alcohol-induced slumber; passing out on her bedroom floor—just inches from the telephone she so desperately willed to ring.

"Long time, no see, King." A white imitation of Ichigo sneered in his general direction. His clone looked up at the murky clouds above: a reflection of the sorrow within his proprietor's soul. The hollow allowed a devilish grin to surface, unable to subdue his elation. "When my reign finally comes, the sky will never turn gray."

"I'll never let you have that chance," retorted his confident rival.

The hollow kept his eyes on the swirling dark clouds overhead. "He doesn't even sense it. That reiatsu that keeps faltering."

Ichigo couldn't make out the inaudible mumbles his counterpart was making. Instead of dwelling on the muffled words of his hollow self, he decided to question his foe. "Why do you still keep showing up in my dreams? I thought we'd finished our battle."

"Gheha…Haha ha ha ha ha!" The hollow broke into hysterics, laughing like an evil villain from a Disney movie right before he reveals his "secret plan". Suddenly, he stopped laughing, and his eyes narrowed into a serious glare. "Don't make me laugh. Our battle will not end until I wear the crown. Until then, I will show up whenever the hell I feel like it."

As Rukia stared at the ceiling, she eavesdropped on the battle Ichigo seemed to be having within himself. She could hear his pillows ruffling and the sounds of struggle as he kicked at his covers. Whatever was bothering Ichigo had been keeping him from a peaceful night's sleep for a long time now.

_Everything feels fuzzy. I can't even make sense of what happened. _Sado laid face-down on his bed, uncertain of the events of the previous evening. The memories were a blur, but the unreal images he managed to evoke left him with a lot of uncertainty. _I should have just gone home with everyone else._ He shoved a pillow over his head, hoping the cushioned weight would take away the pain in his head, and the ache in his heart.

1

2

3

GO!

Okay, look out for Chapter 6—going back to school.

Also, what do y'all think of Sado so far? Horrified? Intrigued? Disappointed? Don't know yet? Do ya just think he needed to be a bad guy for once in a story? Lemme know how ya feel about this!


	6. Chapter 6

The kids are at school the next day. This chapter especially focuses on Ichigo, but delves into Sado and Tatsuki and touches on the others.

When the presence of hollows arises, what will Sado and Inoue do? How will they bear to face each other again? Well… that may not be answered quite yet, but it's fun to speculate : )

Chapter 6

"You're in an unusually good mood today. It pisses me off," Ichigo scornfully remarked of his overly-enthusiastic friend, arching an eyebrow.

Keigo leaped in exhilaration, clasping his palms together in reflection of his memorable night. "Ahh, I feel great! We had a blast without you last night. Ya missed out." Keigo cocked his head a bit, inspecting his friend's sickly appearance. "Maybe it's not my good mood that pisses you off. You don't look like you feel so well, Ichigo."

"Meh," was Ichigo's only reply.

His eyes wandered to the window, no longer paying attention to his classmate's banter. He became lost in his own world; a world in which his doubts in himself were often reinforced by his hollow understudy; a world in which he questioned his resolve to fight, to win, and to kill. He'd always thought he gained this power to protect those he loved. But with each passing day, that motive became harder and harder to fulfill, and the list of people he felt obligated to protect grew larger. He wondered, just how powerful did he intend to become, and just where would he draw the line?

And just how many people would he disappoint in the process?

"Inoue didn't show up to school today. I wonder if she's sick or just off on another unexpected trip again." Some of the girls in class speculated on their classmate's absence.

"No. Usually Ichigo, Sado, and Ishida take off from school then, too. Really suspicious," someone murmured in response.

_That's right. I was going to apologize to Inoue today. Maybe I'll stop by her place after school._

Tatsuki sat at her desk, her face clearly anguished by the lone absence of her friend. She could only stare at the empty desk in muted concern. _It's like I'm not even a part of her life anymore. She leaves without saying a word. She disappears with Ichigo and the others all the time. She doesn't even call me when she stays home from school anymore. _Tatsuki fingered at her unsharpened pencil, straining to sense her friend's spiritual aura. _It's fainter than usual, but I can feel it. Just what is ailing you that you can't tell me, Orihime?_

Ichigo eyed his friend of Mexican descent, a bit intrigued. He seemed somehow… somehow, _quieter_ than usual, if such a thing were even possible. At one point, the teacher called on Sado to answer a question, receiving not even a hint of a response. His eyes looked pained and tired, ringed by a restless night spent tossing and turning. _Kind of like me, _Ichigo thought to himself, _only without the rings._

Sado couldn't focus on the teacher's chatter. He looked to his hands, inspecting every scratch and indentation like it told a story. _These hands are supposed to protect my friends. _A horrified expression began to surface on his face, recalling aspects of the night before. _And yet, with these hands, I… may have hurt one of them._

_Inoue didn't show up today._

_Maybe that's for the better. I don't know if I can face her, after what I did._

_How do you even apologize for something like that?_

"Sado. Could you please answer the question?" Sensei's chatter came to a sudden halt, as the class's attention turned to the boy in question.

Sado sat in silent apathy, completely unaffected by the twenty plus set of eyes that settled on him. Without even glancing at his classmates or looking up, Sado simply packed his books and sauntered out of the room. There was an aura of gloom about him that inspired a reluctance to question the boy.

Suddenly, Ichigo's hollow detector started going wild, causing him to jump and make a scene from the sudden interruption in his thoughts. All at once, the students' attention dropped from Sado and fell upon a mop of bright orange hair. Ichigo laughed nervously and headed for the door apologetically.

"I have to go to the bathroom, Sensei!" was all he could manage as he ran past his teacher and out the door. Ishida followed close behind. "Me, too!"

"Hey! Do you really have to go together all the time! Suspicious boys…" the teacher muttered, imagining some yaoi fantasy about the threesome.

As soon as Ichigo made it past the school doors, he abandoned his body, leaving it motionless on the ground as his Shinigami form ventured out in search of the hollow. The hollow detector on his hip was going crazy with activity. "What, there's more than one?!" He looked around for his other friend. "Ishida, where's Chado?"

Ishida shrugged, uncertain of his whereabouts. _This is odd. He has to sense such an alarming hollow presence. Where could he have gone off to by himself?_

The pair headed in the direction that the hollow seemed to be congregating. _At least they're not Arrancar or anything, but with so many, it's such a pain in the ass!_ Ichigo spotted a raven-haired girl running towards him in a black kimono.

"Rukia!" The girl had a disturbed look on her face, every once in awhile glancing at her cell phone as the numbers increased.

"What the hell is going on?!" she exclaimed, catching up to the two boys.

"Dunno. Don't care. Just gonna kill 'em," Ichigo stated mechanically.

Sado was having a conflict within himself. _I can sense the presence of hollows. Their numbers are growing. _He hesitated to head toward the direction of activity. _Protecting my friends now can't take back all the pain I've caused. But I can't just stand here, either._ Sighing and surrendering to his conscience, he turned from his intended route home and followed his friends to the source of the hollows.

Inoue sat up in bed. "Hollows." She cringed from the movement; the swelling in both lower regions unbearable.

She had awoken after resting just two hours, stirred by the terrifying memories and the agony of sensation returning to her body once again. For the first time, she inspected her body and the swelling around her anal and vaginal regions. It looked like a disgusting pink blimp. The sight was an eyesore alone; it even _looked_ painful. Somehow, Orihime willed herself to grab a camera from her dresser drawer.

_I don't intend to go to the cops with this, but if I have to… this may be essential evidence._

After snapping a few photos of the affected areas, she sat her camera back down and walked to the kitchen, each step reminding her of the painful walk home. After taking some pictures, Inoue was bent on healing the mess. _Ice. I need ice._

It was then that she realized she had more potential within her grasp. _But if I use the Shun Shun Rikka… won't it make it so it never happened? Meaning, all the evidence will be erased? Meaning, the only proof that it ever happened will be in my memories?_

While the thought was somewhat soothing, Orihime decided against it. She was still unsure of what she was going to do about her situation, but she'd determined that she would have to stick this one out and deal with the pain for awhile until she made up her mind.

So now, having skipped school and writhing in pain on her bed with only ice to alleviate the wounds, Inoue was faced with a dilemma. She could sense the hollow's numbers growing by the minute, but lay helpless on her bed. _I want to protect Kurosaki-kun and the others… ah, shit. _Inoue stood, having made up her mind.

_Couldn't the hollow show up at a better time? Well, not that there ever is a good time for the hollow to show up; but, if there was, it certainly was not now._

Fear pumped through her veins as she made her way to the door. _Sado… will he be there? I don't know if I can face him…_

Ichigo and the others spotted the cluster of hollows ahead. Their journey had brought them to the river. There didn't seem to be any spirits or humans in the vicinity, much to his relief. But then, what were so many hollow doing here, and why were they assembling in this one location?

"Ishida! Rukia! Let's separate and bring their numbers down! Quickly!" Ichigo unsheathed Zangetsu, preparing to strike. "Getsuga tensho!"

Ichigo brought several hollow down with a single attack, a gust of spiritual pressure emitting in the form of a crescent moon. While the sheer number of hollow presented a threat, he found that his shikai alone would be all that was necessary. Still, Ichigo could only speculate as to why so many hollow had gathered here, and whether someone was behind the spectacle or not. _Could it be, _the orange-haired boy pondered, _that these hollow are just bait?_

Lost in thought, Ichigo had failed to notice one of the monsters coming up behind him. He jolted, sensing his presence at the last second, but with little time to spare.

An unexpected blast came from behind the monster, demolishing the brute completely in just one blow. Who…?

As the haze surrounding him dispersed, Sado emerged, giving Ichigo a slight, but pained, smile. Ichigo smiled back, a bit relieved at his friend's appearance. Together with Rukia, Ishida, and now Sado, the four faced the hollow together now, determined to bring down the numbers and eliminate them completely.

Something bothered Ichigo about this strange manifestation, though. Someone was definitely setting them up for something—he was sure of it. But who, and for what reason?

Please Read & Review!

Thanks for everyone's input! I hope I don't disappoint too much, though I can't give ya everything you ask for.

As far as when this story takes place, I'm thinking after the arrancar arc but before Hueco Mundo. I didn't want to have Rukia staying in Ichigo's sisters' room though, I just like the idea of the closet too much. But other than that, I think it fits pretty well with that time slot.

Lemme know what you think! I am a bit bothered that I still like Sado so much, I guess he's just the kind of character that could do about anything and you'd forgive him for it. lol.


	7. Chapter 7

Inoue and Sado meet for the first time since "the incident". Inoue is offered a "way out" so to speak. Less force, more free will. : )

Look for Inoue's return to school. And yes, Keigo will be there.

Please Read and Review!

Chapter 7

Their numbers kept increasing. _For each hollow I kill, it seems two more appear!_ Rukia searched for the source of their entrance. Where were they coming from, and why?

Ichigo searched his surroundings suspiciously. For this many hollows to appear of such low rank, in a remote area surrounded by such high reiatsu, there must be someone behind it. _These hollows are all just martyrs for someone else's "greater purpose". But then, why use hollows of such low level if only to serve as a distraction?_

_No. That wasn't it. This wasn't just to distract us. This was to exhaust us. If we keep going on like this and the hollow keep appearing, eventually we will wear ourselves out. But why would they risk losing so many just to lower our defenses?_

His team was winded, but, for the most part, uninjured. Fighting an enemy of this level no longer presented a challenge to the group, who'd been training and fighting for months against enemies of a much greater stature. But, in his and Sado's state, they may not live up to their usual hype.

Within seconds of the thought creeping in, Sado was down! "Chado!" Ichigo called to his fallen comrade, who'd given in to fatigue and got pummeled by one of the monsters. "Get up, Chado! More are coming!"

_I don't want to get up. I don't want to move anymore. I just want to lie here, and die like this. _

"Dumbass!" Ichigo's face appeared right before his own. The strawberry grabbed him by the collar, lifting him up partway. "If you don't get up, you'll die! Do you really want to die like that? In the hands of a weak enemy, for no purpose other than death itself? Get up!"

"Ichigo…" His eyes looked into his self-assured friend's, whose confidence seemed to radiate and seep into the skin of those around him. _Part of me wants to die like that. I don't deserve a hero's death. If only you knew…_

"Umph!" One of the hollow attacked Ichigo from behind, sending him reeling from the blow. _I was too careless._

"Kurosaki-kun!" Bright orange waves of hair wafted in the breeze. She attempted to run to the boy's side, but could only manage a quick limp.

"Inoue! Watch out! Behind you!" Ishida's voice rang out in warning.

A sudden flash of light ascended. Inoue stood, completely unharmed, behind a triangular shield. Hinakigu, Baigon, and Lily—three fairies that formed the defensive unit of the Shun Shun Rikka—hovered in the triangle's corners, rejecting the monsters that had intended to harm her. Using the shield opportunistically, Ishida struck the advancing hollows with his Quincy arrows.

Inoue turned to the fallen boy with disheveled golden-orange hair. He was rising, sustaining only minor injuries. Only a foot away from him lay Sado's motionless form. She froze, unable to take her eyes off of the boy who'd stood by and watched as she was ruthlessly assaulted. _Did he even remember what he did to me?_

Shaking herself free of her daze, Inoue let her shield drop and turned to face the monsters. _They seem to be retreating somehow… but why?_ At a closer look, she could see that they weren't retreating, but instead seemed to encircle something or someone. Turquoise lines, like tears, ran down a boyish face. A single horn protruded from only one side of the boy's skull. His intense green eyes fixated on the girl, entrancing her with each step forward. _Ulquoirra._

"Woman. You're coming with me," the boy ordered, his eyes seeming to burn a hole in her skull.

Ichigo shifted from his position on the ground, standing to face the arrancar. "Like hell she will!"

Ulquoirra redirected his glare to the hot-headed Shinigami child. "And what will you do, in your state? Stop me? Puh!" he scoffed, humored by the boy's confidence despite being winded from the hoard of hollows. "You would be wise not to interfere, Shinigami."

"What do you want with Inoue-san?" Ishida quizzed in the distance, while trying to come up with a strategy to save her in case she was seized.

"What do I want with her? Nothing. However, Aizen-sama has taken interest in the girl. For that, I am here," Ulquoirra replied, finding himself bored with the girl's comrades and turning his attention back to her.

Inoue said nothing, keeping her eyes on the ground. It was the same ground she'd found herself struggling to escape from just the night before. _Why weren't my friends there for me then like they act like they are now? _She shook her head. _No. I can't have doubt in my heart. My powers wane when my heart wavers._

"You do not belong on this side, woman. Your powers are being wasted here." He turned his gaze to the unmoving, brawny boy who laid face-down on the grass. "If it is death for which you wish, might I alleviate you?"

Pointing his index finger at the troubled child, he formed a cero aimed specifically at his target. Within seconds, a blast emitted toward Sado! Ichigo ran to block the cero, but the cero's speed was too quick for his shikai alone.

"Chado!" Ichigo called out his name in warning, as though Chado didn't sense his own impending death. _He's choosing not to even move._

But much to his surprise, there was no impact. The boy lay, eyes shut and awaiting death, virtually unharmed. His eyes parted slightly; then opened completely. Sado was overcome by shock and awe, seeing a barrier between him and the arrancar.

"You're very curious, woman," Ulquoirra commented, dumbfounded by her act of selflessness. "You would really protect those who failed to protect you yourself?"

Inoue dropped to her knees, still tortured by the aching of her body. Her eyes remained downcast as she kneeled, panting on the all-too familiar river's edge. Ulquoirra eyed the girl inquisitively, thrown aback by her morale despite her unmistakable sorrow. As he watched the girl sit in silence, seemingly unaffected by his words, he reevaluated his original plan to take the girl by force. _If I could draw on her doubt in her friends, _he hypothesized, _she might be more susceptible to Aizen-sama's plans. When her heart is in it, her powers are much greater._

"Very well, then. It seems you've made your choice, woman. But remember," Ulquoirra advised, continuing, "that Aizen-sama has offered you a way out. He is allowing you one week of deliberation. Should you accept, you will be welcomed into Hueco Mundo and treated as one of our own, provided that you lend your powers and abilities to Aizen-sama and his ambitions. Should you decline… you will suffer the same fate as your supposed 'kin'."

As Ulquoirra and the remaining hollows ascended into the sky, his eyes met Sado's; seeming to pierce the boy's soul with his gaze. Sado shuddered, feeling exposed by the glance. _Why did she save me? How could she—after what I've done?_ Within seconds of his threat, Ulquoirra ripped a hole in the fabric of space and time, allowing him to transcend the human world and cross the threshold of Hueco Mundo. Within minutes of his arrival, the arrancar and his minions had vanished.

Without saying anything or looking at any of his comrades, Sado rose from the ground, dusted himself off, and departed from the scene. Ichigo's eyes trailed behind him, intrigued by his friend's disassociation. _Sado made no attempt to protect himself. He left himself open for several potentially fatal blows._ A shuffling of feet shook Ichigo's attention back to the rest of his comrades.

Ishida and Rukia peered at Inoue's peculiar posture. She sat, hunched over, knees bent just slightly, with her legs widespread. Her eyes never budged from their concentrated focus on the grass that stretched along the river's edge. She wrapped her arms around her knees, trying to prevent her body from convulsing.

Rukia was the first to approach. "Inoue? Are you… okay?"

"I have to go home. I really need to go…" the girl whispered, more to herself than to Rukia.

"Would you like me to walk you home?" Rukia offered, extending a hand as she bent in toward the crouching girl.

Orihime didn't raise her eyes, nor did she answer her question. "I'll be fine," she mumbled, like déjà vu; standing to leave. Her eyes remained glued to her feet and the path that lay ahead of them. As she walked away, limping awkwardly with her legs spread in an unusual fashion, her comrades looked on in concern.

Inoue struggled to suppress the pain as she walked; hoping that her odd hobbling was not made obvious. _I have to keep my legs closer together to make it less visible. Damn, it hurts, though._

Part of her wanted to scream, _"Yes! Walk me home! Give me a shoulder to lean on and an ear to talk to!" _Part of her wanted to tell Rukia everything, to let it all out and be assured that everything would go back to the way it was. But what would that accomplish, really? What good could come from revealing her turmoil to others? Who else would be hurt in the process?

Ichigo's eyes followed Inoue as she began her stumble home. _I guess I was a little late in apologizing. She's taking it harder than I thought. _**(1)**

Ishida, Rukia, and Ichigo watched as a second comrade abandoned them in silent anguish. The sun beamed down on them, engulfing them in its bright rays. The river shone with the sun's reflection, each ripple glowing brighter than the next.

"We'd better head back to class. We've been in the bathroom quite a long while now," Ishida suggested, growing a bit anxious.

_I've already missed a lot of school. If I keep this up, my GPA may suffer! _Ishida feared, making his way back to the school. Ichigo sighed and followed, still uncertain of his friends' troubles and, at the same time, plagued by his own.

Ishida's eyes fell on the grassy path that lay ahead, lost in thought. _If Ulquoirra had intended to give Inoue a week of deliberation… why bring the hollows to distract us? It seems his original intent was to take her by force. But what could have inspired him to change the course of action?_ As the boys walked back to their class in an awkward lull, Ishida continued to reflect on the dilemma that lay ahead of them.

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**(1)** I would just like to make a note that, at least in this story, Ichigo has a hard time putting 2 and 2 together. Because he's kind of an idiot. Lol.

Also, he doesn't really notice her limp as much for the same reason, and because he is still too wrapped up in his own problems.

Comments, suggestions, etc. are all appreciated! Just a warning though, next chapter may contain more gruesome material. I don't know though, I haven't written it yet. I'll try to update soon!


	8. Chapter 8

Hm, what to say about this Chapter. Well, Inoue returns to school. And, ehe, well, I don't want to give any more away, so just read! Longest chapter so far.

Chapter 8

By later that evening, the swelling had decreased. Inoue had spent the remainder of the day holding ice to her swollen region and resting. As the sun fell from its throne in the sky, the moon took over once again: the same moon that had witnessed her horrors in its last appearance. Unlike Inoue, the moon seemed to have forgotten.

Orihime realized that she hadn't cried since the incident. She had wanted to; had even tried to, but couldn't. None of it felt real anymore. She kept telling herself that soon enough, she would wake up from this horrible nightmare and the pain would subside.

_Why did I save him? _Taking the ice off her genitalia, she lifted herself to a sitting position on her bed. The picture of her brother smiled back at her knowingly. _Why did I save him, when he couldn't save me?_

Suddenly, the phone rang, interrupting her thoughts. Inoue reluctantly walked to the phone, fearing who would be on the other end. _Maybe it's Kurosaki-kun, _part of her both hoped and dreaded. She held the phone to her ear, her hand trembling a bit as she greeted the unknown caller.

"Orihime? It's Tatsuki," her best friend's voice greeted, pausing a bit before she continued. "Are you okay? You didn't show up at school today, and you haven't called me."

Orihime froze. _What should I tell her? I hadn't expected her to call so soon. I guess she must be worried. _"I'm fine," she assured the girl, laughing nervously, "just a little sick. My tummy was acting up on me."

"Well I'm not surprised, with the strange crap you call food," Tatsuki jeered, relieved to hear that her friend was okay. Inoue paused to reflect; she hadn't even thought of food or eating all day. "So are you going to come back to school tomorrow, then?" she inquired.

Inoue was caught in a trap. _How can I go to school after what happened? But if I don't, Tatsuki will be more suspicious and know I'm lying. _"Yeah, I should be better by tomorrow," was the only thing she could think to say.

"Oh, good! Just be careful of Chizuru. She'll probably be clingier than usual," Tatsuki warned.

_Great. Just what I need—to be touched and groped without my consent. _"I'll keep that in mind. Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow then!" she rushed, bidding her friend farewell.

"Alright. I'll see you tomorrow. Oh and, Orihime?" Tatsuki added, a bit unconvinced of her friend's reassurance.

"Yes, Tatsuki-san?"

"If you ever need to talk, or have any problems, or aren't going to show up at school… you can call me, okay? You don't need to keep anything from me."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Tatsuki's eyes locked on the classroom door. _Where is she? She promised she'd be here today. She's never this late._

"IIIII-CHIIII-G-" Keigo was interrupted by a swift kick to the stomach. "Ohhhh…" he finished in agony, holding the spot where the pain had been inflicted. "So cruel," he murmured as his friend continued his walk to the classroom.

"I'm busy," Ichigo said apathetically to the boy behind him, before Keigo could begin to invite him to anything.

"You're always busy…" the boy whined, following close behind.

The bell rang as Ishida took his seat at the front of the room. _Where is Inoue? Is she skipping today, too?_

Sensei stood at her usual podium, doing role call. "Inoue-san. Hmm. That's unusual."

The door creaked open slowly as a meek figure emerged. Inoue walked slowly in apology for her late arrival, taking her seat on the other side of the room. Sado stared as the girl walked past him, right in front of his desk without even one glance. Keigo eyed her dubiously, shocked at her early return. He smiled a bit as he eyed the girl that dared to tempt him with her presence. _She looks so good in her school uniform, _he observed. _Though she looks much better out of it._

Tatsuki smiled at the sight of her friend, though she sensed something off about her. _Her spiritual aura feels different somehow. And, more noticeably, her walk is a bit out of whack._

Chizuru ogled Orihime from across the room. _My Hime is so adorable. She looks more vulnerable than usual. _She took a moment to contemplate her lover-to-be's odd behavior. _I've never gotten this feeling about her; but something tells me I should lay off today._

_Inoue's still acting strange. Her reiatsu's going about as crazy as Ichigo's on a normal day, _Ishida thought as Inoue took her seat. _For that matter, Kurosaki's been acting pretty strange, himself. And Sado… Sado isn't even in the same dimension anymore._

Ichigo didn't even notice Orihime's arrival. He was drifting into his inner world again, where nothing in the real world made any difference. His hollow replica faced him with an eager, shit-eating grin.

"You're pathetic, _King_. You can't even protect your friends anymore," he sneered, criticizing his host. "I'd have killed that Ulquoirra bastard in seconds. And whoever else got in my way."

"Don't act so righteous. You don't even know the meaning of the word _'protect'_."

Ichigo's hollow cocked his head, looking confused. "How many times have I protected you? My mask has blocked potentially fatal blows, leaving you without a scratch. When you were too weak to fight, I stepped in and prevented your body from decaying. I do a much better job of protecting you than you do," he asserted.

"Do you care about anything other than the body which you inhabit, though? Do you fight for anything but yourself?" Ichigo probed, knowing the answer.

"It would be inconvenient if you let your body die, yes. Though I'd have to say, you haven't seemed to fight anyone _but_ yourself these last few weeks." He raised his head toward the dark clouds above. "You don't even realize when your friends are in danger. Really, you're about as selfish as I."

"Bastard!" Ichigo unsheathed his zanpakutu, rushing forward at full speed. His hollow's grin widened sadistically, pleased to put the dialogue behind them.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Tatsuki scanned the school grounds for her friend. _Where the hell is Inoue? She never misses lunchtime._

Inoue staggered out of the girls' bathroom, a bit shaky from the trip. _Ever since… "the incident"… I've bled every time I go to the restroom. I've been spotting through the day, too. From both… _holes.

She sighed as she made her way through the hallway. _I should be eating, but I just don't have an appetite._

"Wh—" she began, startled by two arms that wrapped around her waist, and a hand lifting to cover her mouth to prevent any alarm. She'd been too wrapped up in her thoughts to notice the footsteps that had fallen behind her.

The individual looked both ways quickly before tossing the girl into the boy's restroom, away from any prying eyes that may encounter the two in the hallway. Inoue fell to the floor, her fearful eyes looking up at the shadowy figure overhead. _Keigo._

"We're going to finish what we started the other night, Inoue-chan," the boy growled evilly, inching further toward the girl crouched in the corner. "Mm. You're so enticing in your school uniform. It's as if you wore it just for me," he teased, fingering at the bottom of her blouse while his left hand traveled from the back of her thigh to her firm ass. "You're all mine, now," he whispered, beaming wildly as he lifted her from her sitting position.

"No! Let go of me!" she screamed, squirming and attempting to push him off of her.

"Calm down, Inoue-chan! I uncovered your mouth with the assumption that you'd be a good girl. If you're going to make a scene, I won't be nice about this," he warned, turning the girl over. "Hmm, you're still a bit swollen from before. Have you really been waiting for me all this time?" he quizzed, touching her still-tender lips.

Not wasting another second, Keigo unzipped his pants and penetrated the girl, pushing her panties to the side. He was in a hurry, wanting to get this over with before lunch got over or someone just happened to saunter to this side of the school.

"I said…" Inoue began, her voice growing deeper as she grabbed his wrist, "let…GO."

Keigo's eyes widened, shocked at her change in demeanor. Something about her lowered tone and narrowing eyes struck him with terror. _She's like a different person. So determined; her eyes piercing through me. I feel like her eyes are sentencing me to death._

The flower clips holding her bangs had vanished, allowing her bangs to flow freely, shadowing her narrowed eyes and furrowed brows. Just above her shoulders, the Shun Shun Rikka floated, awaiting her orders.

"I'll fuckin' kill him! I'll do it!" Lily, the eccentric fairy donning yellow goggles shouted at the girl, forming fists toward the enemy.

Tsubaki scoffed at the girl's threat, his arms crossed in annoyance. "Leave that to me. You just do your job."

Without wasting any more time, Baigon, Lily, and Hinagiku formed a triangle between Inoue and her assailant. The barrier rejected and negated the boy's attacks, preventing him from moving forward or escaping the restroom.

"What the fuck," Keigo remarked, seeing a blurry image of three fairies forming a triangular barrier between him and Orihime. He quivered in fear, crouching in the opposite corner of the restroom the same way his victim had done not long before.

Inoue stepped forward, glaring at the boy who meant to reenact his previous assault. He sat with his arms holding his knees in a helpless posture, like a child. "Tsubaki," she called unnecessarily. He nodded, waiting for her to signal him to unleash his attack. "Koten Zanshun (Solitary Sacred Cutting Shield). I reject!"

A cape masked the combatant fairy's face, perhaps just to shield him from the blood that had a tendency to gush in his attacks (well, at his full potential). A scar remained just above his left eyebrow and below his uplifted black hair: a sign of Inoue's previous hesitance to utilize him to his full potential. Though small, Tsubaki was a brutal warrior capable of lethal damage. Without missing a beat, Tsubaki flew forward, prepared to attack the boy mercilessly; finally able to unleash his latent abilities.

Two paper-thin barriers surrounded the fairy, paving the path toward carving through his opponent. The barrier negated anything on the outskirts of anything it struck. Tsubaki aimed for the boy's head, forming a single vertical slit on his forehead. Blood trickled down the boy's eyes and rolled off his face, instilling him with fear. He trembled, fearing the fly-like creature that seemed to have come out of nowhere.

"Please stop! I promise, I promise I won't do it again! I'll do anything you want! Just please, don't!" the boy pleaded, uncertain of his attacker's agenda.

Tsubaki was unaffected by the begging of the child. He persisted in slicing his skull open, continuing downward until the boy was cut in half like a pear. The two halves of the boy fell to their respective sides, blood spurting from the severed extremities. Blood spattered on the fairy's cape and the exposed skin above it. Having finished his task, he withdrew; returning to Inoue's shoulder in victory.

Inoue glared at the boy's corpse just a moment longer, finding him just as revolting dead as she did alive. Making her peace with his demise, she turned toward the door and headed for her and Tatsuki's designated lunch-eating tree. She smiled a bit to herself for the first time in a long time. _I don't have to wait for Kurosaki-kun to protect me anymore._

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Ishida Uryuu stopped at the restroom before proceeding to his class. Students piled through the hallways, scurrying to their classrooms still in their lunch-time daze. He thrust the door open, unprepared for the gruesome image that lay ahead of him. His eyes expanded as they fell upon the two halves of his classmate lying in the far corner. _It was a perfect slice, as though from a finely-crafted samurai sword or… or…_

His eyes narrowed in his returning revulsion. _A Shinigami._

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Eh? Eh? The tension rises!

So I pretty much love Tsubaki and I miss him terribly. In the meantime, I'll make him kick ass in my story and pray that the manga will catch up with me : ).

Please Read and Review!


	9. Chapter 9

Description: Character speculations, the "murder" reveal, and Ichigo finally admits to being a douche. Lol. Not incredibly eventful, but angsty, and something to keep you going until I finally get more time off work. Ugh.

I really like how this story is panning out much better than my own life did. I know it's weird, she kills one of the guys and her thing with Ichigo is not working out, but it's somehow better than my own version went. I started out writing this a bit more like a biography, but I'm changing it into more of a fictional story, and I like it much better that way. : )

Again, please **Read and Review**!

Chapter 9

Ichigo looked at his raven-haired friend on the opposite side of the classroom. He looked absolutely mortified, like he'd seen something directly out of a horror film or something. _I wonder if that disorientated expression has anything to do with the lockdown?_

The school was under a lockdown. There was a stir amongst the teachers, some screaming, and absurd rumors flying around due to the hysteria. The kids didn't know; they could only speculate and come up with something imaginative that might give cause for such extreme measures to be taken. _It was probably just some moronic bomb threat from a kid that wanted to get out early,_ Ichigo hypothesized. _Like that would happen._

He searched the room for his friends. Inoue sat in the back of the room, chattering away with Tatsuki about whatever girls chattered about. Every once in awhile, Inoue would erupt in a sort of brief manic laughter, which came out rather forced. _She seems to be acting more like herself again. That's good. _Sado sat nearer to the front of the room and to his right, seeming deep in thought. Mizuiro sat diagonal from him to the right. An empty desk sat just in front of him. _Where is Keigo? All the kids were supposed to meet up in their home rooms for the lockdown._

Ichigo could see an outrageous amount of police cars and an ambulance outside from his view of the window. _Just what the hell is going on?_ There was a rattle of the door knob as a key was inserted. The door began to open, and the principal—followed by two police officers—approached Sensei. The officers immediately closed and locked the door behind them, guarding against some unknown potential terrorist or door-repelling plague, or whatever this thing was all about. One of the officers whispered something to the teacher, whose face turned a ghostly pale as she gaped from the shock of whatever secrets the officer had revealed. Sensei turned toward the chalkboard, shaking violently, as though she were crying.

The principal approached the students at the front of the room, adjusting his tie in an obvious discomfort. His eyes immediately fell on Ishida, who seemed to be cowering in horror. A hush fell upon the fearful students, whose ears perked up with uncommon interest in the middle-aged man that stood before them; awaiting whatever news he was willing to share.

"I know a lot of you are curious as to why such extreme measures are being taken today. Many rumors have been circulating around the school about bomb threats, drug dogs, and many other plausible—and some, implausible—causes for the uproar. I regretfully inform you that, it is none of these things." The principal adjusted his glasses, his eyes scanning the students' faces. "Today we have lost a cherished member of our community. Asano Keigo was a beloved friend, son, brother, and student here in Kurakura Town…"

Ichigo's body went stiff at the utterance of his friend's name. _Keigo? As in, the kid that was just hassling me about hanging out, who I shrugged off like an annoying bug? _He didn't believe, _couldn't _believe, that his friend was dead. _It must be some other Keigo—some other name. It couldn't be him! _

Something in him snapped, like a realization. _Was this what my hollow meant when he spoke of being unable to sense when my friends were in danger? Was he talking about Keigo?_

Ishida couldn't even look at Ichigo. He shook violently in both horror and disgust. _I don't want to believe you did this, Kurosaki, but… _He pounded his fist on his desk, cringing as the wrath within him built. _You are the only one close enough, with the capability… Just knowing you are associated with the sick fuck that did this repulses me, Ichigo!_

"Asano's death is still under investigation. There are no leads at this time, and investigators are baffled at the manner in which the victim was killed. Due to the graphic nature of the crime and, of course, the location, we are forcing the school into a lockdown in order to ensure the safety of the students and search for any possible weapons and/or suspects. Please be patient and remain calm."

_Cherished member my ass. Why are people suddenly so cherished after they die? It's like all the awful things they do in life are dropped just so that people can reflect on their deaths. _Inoue eyed Sado for the first time since her return, a bit curious as to his response to the news. He was visibly nervous, fearful of his classmate's cause of death. But he couldn't will himself to look at Inoue.

_Keigo was killed. Did she tell someone? Was it Tatsuki? Rukia? …Ichigo? _Sado turned to his friend, searching for any clues as to whether he might know about the incident or not. _If she told someone, they would know… they would know about me, and what I did… _But Ichigo's face reflected a similar, only deeper, shock and turmoil that every other student seemed to exhibit.

_Who the hell killed Keigo? It has to have some connection to the other night. But… if it is connected, does that mean I'm next? _

The principal kneeled before Ishida's desk, speaking quietly to the traumatized boy. "Thank you for alerting officials of what you saw. You've prevented other children from a great deal of trauma. We encourage you to seek out counseling. The school will provide it free of charge to all students, but you need a great deal more than we can give."

_So… Ishida was the one that found him? That must be why he looks so shaken up._

_But he has no idea how much that bastard deserved what was coming to him._

_- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -_

"Hey! Inoue!" Ichigo ran up behind the girl after the school's dismissal. She was on her way home, walking by herself. "Wait up!"

Orihime's footsteps came to an abrupt halt. She hadn't expected to hear Ichigo's voice behind her.

A mop of golden-orange hair came running towards her, panting as he caught up with the girl. "I forgot… to…" he panted, out of breath.

Inoue's large auburn eyes looked down upon the boy as he struggled to choke the words out. His face was pale; still probably sickened by what must have been terrifying news today.

"…apologize to you. For the other night. I'm… sorry for being a douche," he finished, nervously running his fingers through golden locks of hair.

She didn't know how to respond to him. She stood before him, absolutely dumbfounded at his unexpected apology, fighting back the tears that willed themselves to surface. "Thank you, Kurosaki-kun." _You're a little late, though._

Ichigo kicked at the concrete, still saddened by the events of the day. "Would you like me to… walk you home?" he offered, his courtesy also belated, but still very much appreciated by the affectionate girl.

She smiled, patting the back of her head nervously and shrugging. "That would be nice."

The two walked in silence, side-by-side, for quite some time. The occasional car would whiz by, but, aside from that, the streets remained uninhabited. They were alone, probably for the first time in a long time. _Tatsuki would say, "This is your chance! Now take him by force!" But this was not the time for passionate daydreams or declaring my love for him._

Ichigo was the first to break the silence. "Keigo was my best friend, you know?" She nodded, trying to be comforting but provoked by his bold statement. "I… I don't understand why anyone would do such a horrible thing to him. He wasn't perfect by any means, and he could be annoying, but he didn't deserve what happened to him." He sighed, pausing before he continued. "Keigo wouldn't hurt a fly. I heard that he was sliced in two, like a pear. It must have been horrifying for whoever stumbled upon him. Whoever killed him had no conscience, no soul. Almost like… a **Hollow**."

Inoue stopped, clenching her fists and unable to walk beside one who would make such a false testimony. Her knuckles were turning white from the pressure she exerted. "I think I can finish my walk from here. I'm not too far away."

Ichigo was taken aback by her sudden change in demeanor and her want to walk alone. "Are you sure, Inoue?"

She grinned, gritting her teeth in an angry, forced smile. "Positive, _Ichigo_." She sneered as she uttered his first name for the first time, mocking their extensive use of last names despite their long friendship.

His eyes enlarged, alarmed by the resentment in her voice, and the disdain hidden in her use of his first name. _What the hell is wrong with her? Did I say something?_

"Okay. I'll… see you at school… whenever," he shouted at her back as she quickened pace. Ichigo noticed for the first time that, as she continued her hike down the street, there was a slight limp; a hobble to her walk.

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Please **Read and Review**! Might take me a few days to get Chapter 10 up with work and all, but I'll try! I MIGHT have it up by late Saturday. But I might also start working on Chapter 2 of "Zaraki In Love" so WWSYS might be put on a mighty hold. It just might. ;)


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Description: Some musings. Kon and Rukia share their hatred for me (the writer who neglects them). Rukia tries to help Ichigo, seeing him all depressed.

Some SI (self-injury) and other crazy stuff. Then… at last… **the big reveal**.

Please Read and Review!

Chapter 10

"Welcome home, Ichigo!" Rukia beamed, waving to her roommate enthusiastically as he entered the room. As she opened her eyes to his lack of response, her smile transformed into a concerned frown. "What's wrong, Ichigo? Are you ill?"

"I'm fine. I just… need to be by myself."

"ICHIGO! What the fuck is your problem, dumbass!" A lion plushy leaped onto Ichigo's chest, pounding him with fists of fluff.

Ichigo's eyes narrowed, scowling at the talking "inanimate" object bouncing about on his torso. "Where the fuck have _you_ been these last few days?" He lifted the lion by his neck, kicking and screaming, to inspect him further.

Kon gasped, feeling horrendously dishonored by the statement. "Where the fuck have I been? Where the FUCK have I BEEN? I've been… Wait, where the fuck _have_ I been? Doesn't this bitch realize I'm THE BLEACH ICON?!?! Doesn't my opinion in this matter count?!"

As Kon continued to rant, Ichigo tossed him across the room, losing interest. "Right. Don't care."

Kon, offended by Ichigo's show of disrespect, took off grumbling out of the room, rubbing his plushy bruises as though the cotton was somehow affected by the plunge. Ichigo and Rukia paid no mind to the fact that a talking plush lion had taken off walking into the hallway, where anyone could come across him and find him or herself astonished by the fact that there was a WALKING, TALKING lion plushy.

"Ichigo… what's wrong? Did something happen today?" Rukia stepped forward towards the bed, where Ichigo had thrown himself upon entering.

He didn't look at her; didn't reply; only stared at the ceiling, lost in his own thoughts. _What _isn't_ wrong? I can't protect my friends. Inoue hates me, and I don't know why. Sado's in hell, and I don't know why. Ishida won't even look at me; again, I don't know why. Oh yeah, and my BEST FRIEND WAS MURDERED. Did I forget something? Ah, yes—I don't know why._

"You know…" Rukia leaned in, so close he could feel her breath on his neck. Daring herself, she clasped his hand in hers, continuing to bend further until her lips came close to touching his ear. "You can talk to me, Ichigo. You don't need to keep everything locked up inside."

Recovering from the initial shock and shaking off the blush that tainted his cheeks, Ichigo pushed the girl off of him. _I'm sorry, Rukia. I just… really don't want to be touched right now. _"Not now, Rukia."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

_I think I'm going to write a book. I'm calling it, "The Only Character Without Any Drama." I mean, come on, I get like, what, MAYBE a paragraph of dialogue, thought, or general plot devoted to me in two chapters, and then I'm suddenly dropped like I don't even matter? What, just because I'm the other woman, I don't get a plot? Huh? How's come I don't hate anyone, or kill anyone, or rape anyone, or, like, you know, I don't want to die, but if that's what it takes to get me in this story, come on, just do it!_

_But enough about "me". I believe I've already taken up my paragraph, plus some. What, she hasn't stopped yet? Wow, I'm impressed. I was really expecting her to just cut me off in the middle of—_

_- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -_

Inoue amused herself by toying with the sharp metallic kitchen utensil in her hand. Extending her left arm, she held the knife to her flesh, pushing deeper as she slid the blade across the skin. She didn't cringe or show any sign that the action caused her pain at all. As the blood began to emerge slowly, then started flowing, she was reminded of just how alive she still was.

_I can still bleed. But I'm so numb; it's as if I don't even feel it. Still, the adrenaline rush I receive is satisfying enough. I wonder how many times it will take before the pain hits._

Orihime continued making a row of the red indentations, perplexed at her composed response to each. _I know what I'm doing isn't rational. But it's relieving, in an odd way._ The Shun Shun Rikka hovered above her, appalled by the girl's senseless behavior.

"It takes much longer for us to heal your own wounds. Please stop," Ayame pleaded quietly.

"Woman! Cut it out!" Tsubaki launched forward, kicking the girl in the forehead and pulling on her hair. "Where the hell is your head at?"

She sighed, dropping the knife at his demand. Her hands, stained with blood, covered her face, ashamed of her senseless actions both in the past and at this moment. Ayame and Shun'oo floated above the girl's arm, forming an oval-shaped shield that rejected the events. The scars faded slowly, depleting a great deal of the fairies' energy.

Tsubaki's anger subsided as he gazed upon the silently grieving girl in wonder. _I thought exterminating the enemy might bring her back to normal. But she seems just as distressed as she did before. Damnit. I hate seeing her in so much pain._ He looked on as his teammates healed her self-inflicted wounds, wishing at the same time that he had the ability to heal those which could not be seen. Or at least slice the cause of the pain in two.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Rukia had gone on a stroll, hoping to leave Ichigo and his misery to himself, as he'd asked of her. She reflected once again on his insensitive way of pushing her off, rejecting her show of affection and causing her to regret being so bold. "Not now, Rukia," he had said. He didn't say it in a kind, understanding way; more like he was annoyed at her touch and disturbed by being so uncomfortably close to her.

"I'm so… stupid." She looked up, finding herself outside of Orihime's living quarters. "Inoue… She seemed very disturbed the last time I saw her. When she spoke before, it wasn't to me. Her words were very distant, like she was speaking from some other world I was not a part of."

Gathering courage, Rukia willed herself to approach Inoue's doorstep, uncertain of what her friend would make of her being there, or what she would do or say upon entering. The black-haired Shinigami knocked and awaited a response. She could hear voices coming from inside, a sign of life within. She knocked again, but to no avail. _Who the hell does Inoue have over?_ She turned the knob; it was open. _I hope she doesn't mind the intrusion._

Rukia entered the room, overwhelmed with an air of silence that fell upon her. She searched the area for the source of the voices she'd heard earlier, but found nothing inside. Where was Inoue? Taking a few steps forward, she froze, finding Orihime's motionless body on the kitchen floor. There was blood spattered around her, but no apparent injuries that she could see.

Rukia ran to the still form of Inoue, wrapping her arms around her shoulders and shaking her a bit. "Inoue! Inoue, wake up! What's wrong with you!"

Inoue opened one eye slowly, still worn out from healing her own scars. She could just barely make out the blurred image of Rukia looming above her, embracing her. "Ku…Kuchiki-san?"

"You're awake! Inoue, what happened? Why is there blood?" asked Rukia, relieved, but still worried.

Orihime blinked, unable to comprehend what she was saying. "What? Blood? I don't know." She shook the girl off, standing wearily. "What are you doing here, Kuchiki-san?"

_What _am_ I doing here? _"I… wanted to know what's been bothering you. You haven't been acting like yourself and… I was worried."

Inoue bit her lip, debating within herself whether to tell the girl or not. "I…" she started, unsure of how to start. "I… I…" She fumbled with her hands nervously. "…was raped the other night… by the river." She wouldn't lift her eyes from their hold on her hands. She couldn't meet the other girl's gaze.

"Wh-What? When? How?" Rukia didn't even know how to respond. She stared in astonishment at the girl who looked so ashamed. "Inoue… Why haven't you told anyone? Did you at least go to the police?"

Orihime shook her head, responding to only the last question. A single tear rolled down her cheek, an unfamiliar feeling coming over her; one which she was not able to achieve until this moment: she could cry. All at once, she let herself go, becoming lost in Rukia's warm embrace as tear after tear fell.

When Orihime seemed to have calmed down some, Rukia grabbed her by the shoulders and looked her square in the eyes. "Orihime. I want you to tell me… Who did it? I'll fucking kill him!"

Orihime lifted her eyes to meet the other girl's. She wiped her tears, her face becoming grave. "You can't."

"Well, I know, I mean, I won't necessarily KILL him kill him, but I'll definitely kick his ass and make him WISH he were dead—"

"That's not what I mean, Kuchiki-san," Inoue interrupted. "You can't kill him because… he's already dead."

Rukia's eyes grew larger. She leaned in towards the girl who gave her so many questions and so few answers. "Wh-"

Inoue silenced her friend with a wave of the hand. "Kurosaki-kun… he wouldn't like me very much if he knew."

Fear overwhelmed the dark haired girl as she tried to make sense of a battered woman's ramblings. "If he knew what, Inoue?" Silence. "If he knew you were raped?" Silence. "If he knew you were raped or…

"If he knew **you killed him?**"

"Kill? Who said anything about murder?" Inoue smiled sweetly. "All I said was that he was already dead. It makes no difference to me how the boy died. Now Ichigo, Ishida, and Sado… it makes a difference to those three."

"Are you… really alright, Inoue? You've kept this bottled up inside… Do you need to see a doctor? Or… Is there anything I can do?" Rukia's tension had lowered, returning to concern for the girl's strange tone and behavior. _Orihime never talks like this. She's so… serious and detached. I wonder if not talking to anyone all this time has really gotten to her this much._

Inoue stood, stretching her arms toward the sky energetically. "I'm fine, Kuchiki-san. Thank you. Just please… don't say anything to Kurosaki-kun or the others." She tilted her head back in thought before adding, "And, Kuchiki-san?"

"Yes?"

Orihime gave a soft, sincere smile, still staring at the ceiling. "Please help Kurosaki-kun… feel better. You're the only one that can help him, and…" she hid her face as one last tear streamed down the side of her face, "…the only one that can make Kurosaki-kun happy."

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Author's Note: I have a lot of ideas circulating about where the story will go from here. A lot of really evil ideas. But I want to hear your ideas before I commence writing. Ideas specifically on Inoue, Rukia, Ichi, Ishida, and especially Sado. And don't forget about Ulqy's return later on! I think this'll go a few more chapters—maybe 3 or 4—but the last will probably be the longest. Please read and review and give feedback!


	11. Chapter 11

Day 2 since Ulqy's visit.

Ulquoirra meets with Aizen to discuss his change in plans. Ishida stalks Ichi. Then, Inoue and Sado lock eyes for the first time since the incident. Will Orihime be able to forgive him?

Please **Read and Review**!

Chapter 11

"Pour the tea, please." Aizen lounged in his king-sized chair, a long index finger resting just beside his gleaming eye. One of his minions dispensed the hot liquid into Aizen's cup first, and then moved on to the next three cups placed before his master's guests. "Now, Ulquiorra. From your last encounter with our opponents on Earth, it seems as though these children would present minimal threat to our plans, despite their potential. For this, I understand why you did not waste your energy on obliterating them. However, I would like to know…

…why then, you broke away from my orders and told the girl I was giving her a week's deliberation."

Ulquiorra sipped his tea, unmindful of Aizen's disease-ridden glare. His caramel-coated eyes could have burned a hole in Ulquiorra's chest, were one not already there. The man kept his eye-length brown hair slicked back by some unknown greasy substance, leaving a single wavy clump dangling to the left side. He wore what looked like a white lab coat over his former Shinigami uniform, donning a white sash around his waist. His eyes beamed with intelligence, but something evil lurked behind them; more evil, perhaps, than that of the conscienceless goons serving him.

Truly, this man did not belong in that other world. It was a wonder, Ulquiorra thought, that he ever escaped the same fate as he—to become a Hollow, destined to face Hell's gates for his horrific sins. Somehow, though, Aizen must have evaded his own wickedness in life, passing onto the Soul Society with no questions asked. His intelligence, his poise, his maliciousness—they were all better suited for this world. Yet somehow the man had escaped a similar afterlife as Ulquoirra had led himself; unable to aspire for anything greater in his weak, ogre-like form, but with just as much potential as the one he now catered to. Perhaps the only explanation for this was his lack of fear—something awe-inspiring for beings like the hollow, which are created out of fear and regret. When Aizen came along, it changed everything for the Hollow. Suddenly, doors opened, powers multiplied, and the hollow had a sense of greater destiny and, oddly enough, hope.

Aizen inspected Ulquiorra, curious of his uncommon failure to follow orders. "I apologize, Aizen-sama. I acted on the new information I had at hand, for what I felt was the greater benefit to your ambitions. If you would allow me to, I could explain further."

Ulquiorra bowed toward the man, awaiting his approval to continue. Aizen waved his free hand, signaling for the boy to explain further; knowing, full well, that Ulquoirra had no intent on betraying him, but interested in the boy's exceptional ability to evaluate his opponents. _It's just as keen, or more so, as my own, _Aizen deduced.

"The girl you are after, as you know, has the potential to greatly enhance our chances of winning this war. Her powers, at their height, could undo death, or really any event that she might wish to undo. However, when her heart is uncertain, her strength is greatly decreased." He paused a moment to let the information sink in, clearing his throat before he continued. "When I arrived in the human world, I was surprised at how much doubt in her friends lingered within her heart. Oddly enough, despite this doubt, the girl was able to block what should have been a fatal attack on the boy who she doubted the most.

"If we could harness that doubt, giving her time to deliberate and allowing it to grow, her anger towards her kin could fuel a willing decision to join our ranks. If the girl decides to join us by choice, her powers will be much more useful."

"And if the girl chooses to refuse?" Aizen inquired, smirking a bit as he leaned in to hear his subordinate's response.

Ulquiorra's eyes were unmoving; his voice remained stern. "Then she shall die, alongside those who have already betrayed her."

"I see. It seems we are on the same page after all, Ulquoirra."

To Aizen's left and right respectively, Ichimaru Gin and Tousen Kaname sat listening attentively to the conversation. Ichimaru sent Aizen a knowing smile, excited for the interesting twist Ulquiorra had in store for them.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Damnit!" Ishida pounded his desk, unable to piece together the puzzle Asano Keigo had left for him. "Why the hell would a Shinigami do this? Who the hell would do this? The only possibility is… is…"

Kurosaki Ichigo stepped into the room as though death itself were surrounding him. Ishida's eyes immediately fell on the golden-haired boy suspiciously. _Is this dark cloud surrounding him out of pain from losing a dear friend? Or is the cloud a result of his conscience catching up with him?_

Ichigo sighed, each step more painful than the last. _How can I be here when Keigo is not? How can I sit here only a day later, as though nothing had happened?_ Ichigo's eyes wandered to the back of the room. Orihime's desk was still unoccupied. The girl that had seemed so composed throughout the lockdown, more composed than she'd been in days, was apparently skipping school. _And yet somehow, I still came._

Ishida's eyes narrowed at the sight of his former comrade. _I'll follow him, _he decided, _and hopefully he'll show some sign of his guilt or innocence. It's the only way._

Tatsuki glanced at Inoue's desk apprehensively. Her worry soon turned to anger, which, in turn, turned to sadness. _Orihime… I told you that you could tell me anything. If you had any problem, if you weren't going to show up… Yet you haven't called, and you still don't show up. You put on this façade yesterday thinking I wouldn't notice. Do you really think I'm that easily duped, Orihime? I thought we were friends. I thought we were family. I thought we… might be more than this._

The teacher stood at her usual podium. "Orihime and Sado, hmm. Not what I expected."

- - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - -

As Ichigo made his way home, he had the eerie sensation that he was being followed. He scowled in annoyance, hoping the feeling that had been weighing him down all day was wrong.

"Hirako, if you're following me, cut it out already!" When no one responded, he looked to the sky—hoping not to see his unusual Vaizard friend hovering above. His hopes were fulfilled when he found not even a cloud in the sky.

Ichigo, giving up on his paranoia, returned to his walk. _I'm about home now. All I have to worry about here is my father. _He hesitated for a moment, rethinking that thought. _On second thought, maybe I should just stay out here._ He turned the knob to his door, poking his orange spiky hair into the room to check for any strange movements—usually a sign of his father. Within his first step, a boisterous man came rushing at the boy with tremendous enthusiasm.

"IIII-CHIIII-GOOOOO!" Isshin's leg had extended for a kick which catapulted him from the other side of the room toward his son's frightened form.

"Puh!" The sound of impact as Isshin's foot met with Ichigo's chest! Isshin looked at his son in worry; usually Ichigo would be able to block this blow easily, and counter it in seconds flat. Seeing his boy knocked out on the pavement, Isshin sighed and pulled him in. _He just looks so… helpless._

Before closing the door, Isshin looked both ways, sensing the presence of someone nearby. When no one appeared from the bushes, he retreated to his home, dragging Ichigo's immobile body through the doorway behind him. As the door closed, Ishida's right lens glared from the sun's rays, rising from the bush he'd been concealing himself behind. _Ichigo continues to baffle me. I'm curious how he and Rukia will communicate. Though unlikely, I can't rule out Rukia as a suspect, either._

Ishida put his investigation on hold, receiving little confirmation of Ichigo's guilt or innocence from his odd behavior. _I'll have to witness Ichigo in a social situation where he feels at ease. Recently, his conversations have encouraged minimal responses. I'm curious about just what is going on that my friends have been withholding._

_Now that I think about it, maybe Ichigo's not the only one I need to be investigating. Inoue and Sado have been especially odd lately._

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Inoue hadn't gone to school this day. Her feelings had been revived after her confrontation with Rukia, leaving her with many more questions and troubled emotions. Also, the way Ichigo had spoken to her in regards to Keigo left a bad taste in her mouth. Part of it was her anger in his ignorance of the boy's true nature, but something else in her felt a great sadness and regret for what she'd done every time she looked into those sorrowful brown orbs. She didn't like to see that look; didn't want to see it again, knowing she had been the cause of it.

Long, flowing orange hair wafted in the breeze. Inoue closed her anguished auburn eyes, smiling a little as she breathed in the fresh air the wind had carried over. She listened to its words of comfort, and heeded its whispers of warning. She stopped in her tracks, unsealing her eyes. Orihime found herself standing along the river's edge, where her legs had taken her of their own will to mourn. She hadn't expected to see anyone else there.

She lost her breath as her heart pounded faster. _Sado._ Her feet froze in place, uncertain of whether to move forward or back. To let him know of her presence, or to stay in place and hope he wouldn't notice.

Why was _he _here?

In the distance, Inoue could hear soft murmurs of something she hadn't expected to hear from the boy. He was crying.

"I… didn't stop it. I was a _part_ of it. And for that… and for that, Inoue was hurt. And for that, Keigo was killed. And for that, everyone I'd sworn to protect was hurt in turn. How does a person apologize for that? I wish I'd been killed first…"

Inoue stepped forward, her mouth opening slightly, though unable to say anything. Sado turned, looking her straight in the eyes for the first time since the night she'd been assaulted. His dark eyes sent chills through her. She could sense his remorse, but his remorse alone meant nothing if he only kept it within himself and spoke not a word of apology. She searched his eyes for the words he couldn't grasp, waiting for him to pull them out. There were only two she wanted to hear from him.

"Inoue… Why not me?" His eyes filled with tears as he spoke. Not expecting a response to his rhetorical question, he turned his back to the girl and walked in the opposite direction. Inoue looked on in shock.

_How could such a strong guy be such a coward?_

Orihime kneeled on the grass, her heart torn by the boy's weak disposition and the memories this ground reawakened. In the background, a shadowy figure emerged from behind a large tree. Neither Sado or the girl took notice at the hidden stranger in the distance.

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Hm, this might be a few more chapters than I'd intended, as we've still got 5 more days to go until the final decision. Though I might just skip a few days and label them essentially "uneventful" to get to the good stuff. Ahh, what d'ya think?

And yes, I did play around with a bit of a one-way lesbian love with Tatsuki, I hope you don't mind the implication. I don't really intend to go anywhere with it.

Please give feedback! Tell me what you like, what you don't like, what you want or don't want to happen, what you think of the characters, etc!


	12. Chapter 12

Day 3 since Ulquoirra's proposal.

A new Hollow arises in Karakura town, and the target is, apparently, Orihime. But there's something familiar about the monster behind the mask…

Please **Read and Review**!

Chapter 12

Ishida laid on his futon, his arms crossed behind is head, deep in thought. _There's something going on here. Sado knows something about who killed Keigo and why. Somehow, he and Inoue have ties to this disaster. And for some reason, Sado blames himself for what happened. Just what secrets are my friends keeping from me?_

The next day had passed just like any other Saturday: uneventful. Uryuu usually spent his Saturdays sewing and perfecting his Quincy arrows, but today made the latter task much more troublesome. Outside Ishida's small room where he spent his days alone, it was raining. Flashes of lightning could be seen in the distance as Uryuu observed the skyline out of his bedroom window. _Yesterday there wasn't even a cloud in the sky._

His thoughts were interrupted no sooner than they were thought by a sensation Uryuu had become quite accustomed to since Ichigo's Shinigami powers were awakened some time ago. A Hollow.

Kurosaki Ichigo was downstairs enjoying dinner with his family. Karin and Yuzu had been lecturing their brother about always locking himself up in his room for hours at a time and behaving quite strangely since his return home. This could all, of course, be explained by Rukia's inhabitance of his closet, though that was something Ichigo found significantly more difficult to explain than just letting them assume he was being ailed by teenage hormones.

"Stop thinking so perverted, Dad!" Ichigo fumed, irate with his father's interpretations of his strange conduct. As he launched forward, prepared to attack Isshin with his dignity on the line, Ichigo was alarmed midway through by his Hollow detector going off. "AHHH!"

His family gave him a worried glance as he fidgeted nervously after his sudden leap in the air, trying to think of something to explain leaving the dinner table. Beads of sweat surfaced as he patted the back of his head, laughing nervously.

"Well, look at the time! It's 7:36 already and I promised Kei… Mizuiro that I'd meet up and study with him for the 'big exam' tomorrow! See ya!" Ichigo ran out the front door, slamming it behind him and dumping his body behind a bush as he reverted to his Shinigami form.

Isshin scratched his head, disturbed by much of his son's lie, as well as his nearly untouched plate of food. "Ichigo started to say Keigo…" he mumbled to himself, perplexed at this altered detail in the fib his son had told. _Ichi wouldn't tell me this, but all the parents were alerted of Asano's apparent murder almost as soon as it happened. He's barely eating, he's barely talking… he's barely even _living_ anymore._

Rukia climbed out of Ichigo's window and, having left her gigai behind in the closet, took off after Ichigo. She fingered her zanpakutu's hilt, making her way down the dark, empty street. She could hear the Hollow's cry in the distance and feel his approximate location.

"Ichigo, the Hollow! He's… at Inoue's!" Rukia cried to her comrade's back, picking up pace as her fear grew.

- - - - - - - - -

Inoue kneeled on the floor of her room, wiping at the tears that streamed her face. She looked up at the framed picture on her dresser of the one man she could trust in life, confiding in him. "Onee-san…" she started between sobs. "Was life this hard for you before we ran away? Was life… this… unbearable?"

"Or-iii-hime-chaaan," a voice crooned behind her, startling the crying girl.

Inoue stood, turning around to face the voice that mocked her. _Where…?_ Glass and plaster smashed and shattered ahead of her, sending debris flying and a cloud of smoke cloaking the monster in front of her.

"Orihime-chaaan, did you really think it would be that easy," the beast sang, stepping closer, his voice growing angrier, "TO GET RID OF ME!"

The Hollow's fist came rushing forward and his face rose from the ashes. Orihime gasped, recognizing the familiar voice and face, despite the mask that concealed it. Brown chin-length hair blew in the smoky swirls surrounding him. His mask was porcelain white; his mouth and eyes large, vacant black holes. A large, malicious grin was permanently plastered on the mask that loomed overhead. The body resembled that of a centipede, hideously elongated and brown with numerous insect-like legs protruding from the sides. Despite all these vast distortions to his original form, Inoue could recognize the monster within.

_"Keigo."_

"I've been watching you ever since you killed me, Orihime. Playing helpless—you little bitch. Ever since that day, I've prayed for some way to enact my revenge. That's when 'they' came. The others, like me; some more humanoid than others.

"I'm really grateful to them for helping me to gain this form so quickly, though. I just couldn't stand to see you happy, and I especially couldn't stand to see you cry and tell your little sob stories any longer. Your _onee-san _isn't going to save you now."

- - - - - - - - -

Sado sat up in bed. _I can feel a Hollow. And he's after Inoue!_ He grimaced, rising to his feet with determination. _I will protect you this time… because I couldn't then. Even though I know it means nothing to you now._

Ichigo and Rukia joined Ishida just outside of Inoue's apartment. A big gaping hole had been blasted through the wall to her bedroom, and a long, multiple-legged body stretched alongside the outside of the building from that hole. Ichigo leapt on top of the brute's body, making his way up to the room with his zanpakutu unsheathed.

"Ichigo! Attack from behind! Quickly!" Rukia shouted in warning, gritting her teeth in anxiety. _Before you see his face._

Ichigo had made it into the room, seeing Inoue being suffocated by the monster's tight hold on her. The Hollow pressed harder against the floor, pinning the girl so that she couldn't even manage a whisper. Her lungs felt like they were about to burst from the weight. And then she saw the blur of golden hair and a black kimono approaching from behind the monster.

_Kurosaki-kun, look out!_ she wanted to scream. Not because he was in harm's way, but because he needed to act quickly before he determined the monster's identity. But before she could do that, the wildly excited Hollow, continuing to press against Orihime's chest, turned to look at his sword-wielding former friend.

"Ichigo, huh? When did you get so kick-ass?" the Hollow taunted the boy just as he was about to strike. "Oh, were you about to save her? I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were so eager to protect…

"Your best friend's MURDERER!"

Ichigo froze from the shock, unable to finish his intended attack. He didn't want to believe it was true; didn't understand how it was possible. But the proof was staring him in the face: Keigo had been turned into a Hollow. Somehow the process of the spirit chain eating away at itself was dramatically accelerated for the boy, much like it had been for him when Urahara intended to revive his Shinigami powers.

"What's wrong, Ichigo? Can't kill me now? That's too bad; Orihime-chan was kind of hoping you would. Isn't that right, Orihime-chan?" he grinned as he looked down at the girl beneath his claws struggling to retain consciousness. "Oh, that's right. You can't even breathe, much less speak."

Rukia and Ishida burst through the door. "ICHIGO! Hurry up and kill him!" Rukia hollered.

Ichigo looked entranced by the monster, unable to process anything other than the fact that his dead friend was staring back at him. "K… Keigo?"

"Hmm, this looks so familiar, doesn't it, Orihime-chan? You, pinned underneath me. Should we have just a little more fun before I return the favor and kill you?" Keigo let up a little on his hold, allowing her to breathe as he traced her clothing with his claw, tearing at the fabric coating her chest and torso.

"Fuck you, Ichigo, I'll do it myself! Keigo, you fucking bastard!" Rukia unsheathed her zanpakutu, running forward.

Undetected by any of the others, a mop of wavy black hair slipped past Rukia, pushing her out of the way as he heaved forward with his right arm. Sado scowled at the monster ahead, seething with hatred.

"Heh. You again?" Keigo scoffed.

The tall, powerful bronze boy pushed forward with his right arm—which had turned into some mass of black and maroon, with a forked tip at the shoulder. His fist made contact with the monster's chest, using all the strength he could (though unnecessary) in the attack.

"What the f—" Keigo began as he dispersed and turned to ash.

"Sorry, Rukia. I wanted to shut him up myself," Sado apologized with a slight grin toward the Shinigami who'd been thrust aside.

She smiled, accepting the apology and getting back on her feet. "It's okay, I understand."

Both Ichigo and Ishida remained frozen still from the shock of everything that had just happened. Within seconds, the group's attention was averted to the huge, unwelcoming gate that emerged from the floor. Two skeletons, comprised of everything just above the pelvic bone, gripped the edge of each door as they parted. The skulls were wrapped in bandages, covering even the left eye of each. The half-skeletons and the doors themselves were restrained by metal chains. Those between the doors busted as the doors opened. Keigo reemerged in his human form, squirming around in a frightened fashion on the floor.

"Orihime, what kind of people live in the floor beneath you?!" he asked jokingly with apprehension. "…Fuck," was all he could conclude as Hell's Gate opened up for him, and a large, tattooed hand gripping a sword thrust into Keigo's pelvis and moved up, continuing to slice through his skull in a backwards fashion of the way he'd been killed in life.

As the sword was in mid-slice, the hand began to pull Keigo's soul toward the doors, sucking him into Hell's gates. By the time the job was finished, Keigo's soul had already been consumed by the gates, the two halves disappearing into a black abyss as the doors closed behind.

Ichigo, Ishida, Sado, and Rukia looked on in awe as the gates retreated into the floor. Orihime panted heavily before falling into unconsciousness.

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What d'ya think? I love these little twists in the story that come to me : )

Please **Read and Review**! No promises on when to expect Chapter 13—I have to work tomorrow through Monday but maybe I can squeeze time in between there. I'm not entirely sure where I'm going with this but there are only a few days left until Ulqy returns! Woot!


	13. Chapter 13

Warning: If you read this while listening to Jewel, your brain may explode.

Due to popular (one person) demand, I will show a "softer" and less lame side to Ichigo. Actually, I've been meaning to get back into his head for awhile and revisit his guilt and the battles within himself, and this seemed like a good opportunity to bring some of that out. Sorry for the long-ish wait, I came down with a bad fever and it kept me bed-ridden for most of the day.

Chapter 13

"Inoue? Inoue! Are you awake now?"

Two worrisome brown swirls looked down at the girl whose eyes were opening at last. Inoue blinked, trying to adjust her dry eyes to the bright rays surrounding her. The dim light of Urahara's shop was overpowering to the girl who'd spent the last hour in a black fog. She started to sit up, not recognizing where she was at first or how she'd gotten there. Two strong arms held her back, though, pushing her shoulders against the hard floor. The hands gripped her shoulders tightly, applying tremendous force. _It even hurts a little._

"Don't move, Inoue," the arm-owner warned. Her eyes traveled up the boy's well-toned arms; to his shoulders; to his spiky orange hair; and finally settled on his kind, brown eyes. "While we're all very happy you're alive and well and not comatose, you need to rest. If you need anything, just holler," the boy added with a gentle smile.

"K… Kurosaki-kun?" She couldn't believe what she was seeing: Ichigo seemed to have had a hand in taking care of her. A warm smile graced her lips, moved by the uncommon tenderness her comrade was displaying towards her. _Although it doesn't make up for the past… it certainly helps a bit._

"Of course, we have a lot of questions we'd like to ask you about what the fuck just happened. But our main concern right now is making sure you're okay," Ichigo continued, releasing his hold on her shoulders with a slight blush for having forgotten to remove them sooner. Prolonged, unnecessary touching still made Ichigo a little more than uncomfortable, though he wasn't willing to admit it.

_We?_ Inoue scanned the "healing" room she currently resided in. From the right to left, Rukia, Ichigo, and Ishida sat in wait, gazing upon her with intense interest. Sado was nowhere to be found—having taken off almost as soon as he arrived. The lights were beginning to grow on her now, though her eyes were still heavy and weary. She could see upon further inspection that Ichigo's eyes seemed to carry a lot more guilt and increasing sadness, which he attempted to keep hidden behind strained smiles.

The walls in the room were bare and plain. Some old boxes of merchandise sat along the far wall, collecting dust; but aside from that and the added color provided by the presence of her friends, there wasn't much to see here. _It's like a hospital room or a hotel, but without all the… stuff. It's completely devoid of personality, with the exception of the individuals within its walls._ There were no clocks or windows to tell the time; Inoue could only estimate how long she'd been conked out, and fret over how long her friends had stayed by her side and watched her sleep.

"Thank you, Kurosaki-kun, Kuchiki-san, Ishida-san," Inoue whispered, closing her eyes. "I haven't slept well for a _long_ time."

Urahara stepped into the room, shielding his face with his favorite fan that he liked to wave around frenetically. His green and white striped hat added additional shadow to his eyes. He clothed himself quite carelessly; sporting wooden clogs along with rather loose clothing unflattering to his developed physique—aside from the exposed portion of his chest that had escaped fabric's touch. In his hand, he held what appeared to be a cane—to help him walk or, occasionally, to annihilate hoards of Arrancar.

"How is Orihime-chan?" he asked, lifting his hat and peering out from behind his fan at the group.

"She seems to be alright; just tired. We're letting her rest a while longer," Rukia confirmed, eyeing the sleeping girl.

"Good. Let's just hope we're not too late," he added off-handedly, looking out into the distance and beyond the off-white wall.

Ishida adjusted his glasses and eyed the strange man apprehensively. "Too late for what, Urahara-san?"

Urahara immediately went back to flapping away with his fan wildly, laughing insanely as he covered his face. "Oh, nothing, nothing! Now, what were we all discussing?"

- - - - - - - - -

Ichigo buried his face in his hands, sulking in the corner. _How could I be so stupid? I hesitated. Every time I've hesitated, out of my own insecurities, I've put my friends in danger. While I'd been too busy brooding over not being able to protect my friends, I, in turn, failed to protect them once again! How will they ever forgive me? How can Inoue look at me with those big doe eyes and smile the way she always used to, knowing I'd failed her?_

"_**I told you, Ichigo. You don't even know when your friends are in danger. Even **_**I**_** could hear the girl's screams for you to save her. Had she cried for me, I might have come to her rescue."**_

"_Bullshit. You don't even know the meaning of the word 'rescue.' Don't mock me by using terms you don't understand."_

"_**Don't act like **_**you**do_**. Well, maybe 'rescue' is a strong word. I would have come to her, anyway. Maybe saved her the trouble of killing them herself."**_

"Them? _Who else has she… killed? And how do you know about all of this?"_

Ichigo could hear the smile in his Hollow's voice. _**"I'm just better at tapping into your powers than **_**you**_** are."**_

"Kurosaki-kun." Inoue's arm extended, her hand reaching out for the boy she was calling. "Don't you hate me? For what I did… Don't you at least want to know why?"

Ichigo was caught by surprise when Orihime spoke, her eyes still shut and seeming in a deep slumber. He wasn't sure if she had just awoken or if she was talking in her sleep. Still, he inched his way toward the girl, taking a hold of her small, delicate hand and massaging it between both of his. The warmth radiating from his hands to hers soothed the drowsy girl.

Ichigo thought a minute. "I figure, the gates of Hell opened for him, he tore off your clothes and he nearly killed you. That's usually a sign that someone is a bad person. I don't know what he did in life to bring him to that point, but I'm certain whatever it was, he deserved what was coming to him. I'm just glad you're safe."

Inoue smiled, her eyes still closed tightly, but comforted by his words. "Will you promise me something?" Inoue proposed, challenging the boy with the unknown.

"What?" Ichigo's ears perked up, not expecting to be called upon in such a way.

"Promise me that, the next time I see you… you will always be happy."

He smiled weakly, stroking her soft hands lightly as though they would break. "I promise."

Ichigo leaned forward, wrapping his arms around the girl in a gentle embrace. Orihime tensed up, stunned by the sudden gesture that seemed so out-of-character for the boy that stole her heart. After recovering from the immediate shock, Orihime relaxed her muscles, sinking into the chest that pressed against her.

As Rukia watched the two caress and talk gently, she was struck with a twinge of jealousy. It'd been a long time since she'd reached that level of intimacy with Ichigo, and the fact that he was touching Inoue—even if merely out of his own guilty conscience for neglecting her in the past—drove Rukia mad. Though she hated that, in a situation like this, with Orihime so disoriented, she felt this way.

Orihime felt her muscles tense up once again as Ichigo's hold against her became tighter, suffocating her for the second time in one day. She struggled to break free of the embrace, gasping for air. His hand, which had previously been ruffling her hair, now yanked and pulled her head back. His chest pressed against hers, applying further pressure until she thought she would break in two. Ichigo's eyes turned black as coal as two yellow irises emerged from the center.

"K-Kurosaki-kun? Kurosaki-kun, don't, it…hurts…" she pleaded as his hold grew stronger.

Rukia stood, alarmed by the scenario in front of her. "Ichigo! Ichigo, snap out of it!"

All at once, Ichigo released his hold on Inoue, letting her fall to the floor gasping for air. He looked at his hands in horror, uncertain of what just happened to him. _It was like I… went somewhere else. _

"Kurosaki! What is the meaning of this!" Ishida demanded, rising with his fist clenched, prepared to strike.

Ichigo turned to look at his friends, petrified of his own actions—unsure of whether they were really his own. After a momentary glance, he took off running out of Urahara's shop, past his host, past Tessai, past Ururu and Jinta and out the door. Urahara scratched his head, feeling a strange reiatsu emitting from the boy and perplexed by his odd behavior.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

_What is wrong with me? Why am I hurting my friends?_

"_**You've been hurting them a lot longer than this."**_

"_Not intentionally! I just… want to make up for it."_

"_**It's too late for that, King. You can try to run from it, but you know the truth. You weren't meant to protect people. You were meant to fight; to become powerful. Once you've gained so much power, you can't avoid hurting people. Eventually, you'll even come to like it."**_

"_I was given these powers to protect people. _You_ are the one that uses them to hurt others."_

"_**You are the one that **_**doesn't**_** use your powers and hurts them. You avoid me; you avoid learning about me. You may still be King, but you quiver in fear as you ride your horse."**_

"_Why did you hurt Inoue?!"_

"_**I was doing her a favor. She still has faith in you; still thinks you'll come around and be her savior. Removing that faith will help her move on.**_

_**"But I don't **_**need**_** a reason to inflict pain. And, unlike you, I'm not picky about who I inflict it on."**_

_"Fuck you! I'll never allow you to take over!"_

_**"Allow? Since when was I asking your permission?"**_

- - - - - - - - - - -

_How many of my friends will come to betray me? First Sado, and now Ichigo, too? I can't even trust my own comrades._

_Who _can_ I trust?_

Orihime stretched in her bed, reflecting on everything that had happened in the last week. Since the incident at Urahara's shop, she'd distanced herself from her comrades. Sunday and Monday came and went quickly, and with no Hollow activity (much to her relief). The thought of going back to school with all the drama circulating around her made Inoue's stomach churn.

_I can't bear to see them. Sado and… Ichigo._

So, instead, Orihime stayed home and found ways to entertain herself. She wondered to herself what her friends were up to, how Tatsuki was, what the others might think of her now that they had some idea of what kind of person she was. _I know I can't do this forever. Eventually, I'll have to go back to school._

_Tatsuki-chan… I promised her I'd talk to her if I ever skipped school. It's not that I don't trust Tatsuki-chan, it's just that… I don't want her to feel guilty for not protecting me when I needed her. I don't want her to try to make up for it. Part of me just wants to prove that I can protect myself._

She thought of the other night, when Ichigo turned a tender embrace into that dreadful moment in _Of Mice and Men_ when Lenny accidentally kills a girl after his hand gets caught in her hair. Though she knew what Ichigo did was no accident. The aura that exuded from him at that moment was tainted with something darker, something blacker. She could remember looking up into his eyes, horrified to find that the eyes she was looking into were not his—the whites of his eyes had turned black, and the usually warm brown center became yellow.

She thought of the night she confessed her torment to Rukia, and an awful regret sank in for having done that. Orihime wasn't sure who she could trust anymore, and she grew increasingly uncomfortable with her friends knowing more of her predicament. Still, the kindness in her friend's eyes was genuine, and at that time she'd felt reassured by Rukia's confidence that everything would be okay. Even though it wasn't, it helped to be told that lie.

She thought of Sado, standing by the river and lamenting what he'd done to her just days before. She recalled the first time they locked eyes at that river, and the words he had chosen to utter. "Why not me?" he had said. In truth, Orihime didn't hate Sado for what he'd done. She knew he felt remorse for it, that he regretted ever even coming to that place. Yet something in her clung to his words, finding herself incredibly insulted by them.

All she wanted him to say was "I'm sorry." Yet he couldn't look her in the eyes and apologize; didn't have the strength within himself to admit to her face that he'd made a terrible mistake. That was all she needed to forgive him. But instead, Sado seemed to yearn for death, throwing himself into harm's way every chance he could. When he saved her from the Hollow form of Keigo, part of her wondered if it was as much about protecting her as it was in hopes that Keigo might take him instead.

Orihime looked to the ceiling and scowled, the sadness overwhelming her. She knew what she would have to do, and it wasn't going to be easy. She had a decision to make.

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I'm thinking just a chapter or two more to go! **Please Read and Review**! And thanks for all the feedback on Chapter 12!


	14. Chapter 14

Hmm, how to explain this chapter? I'm in the mood for gore, I guess. Hope you likey : ). Ichi loses it; lots of violence ensues.

(Time: Tuesday night, Day 6 of Ulq's Proposal, right after Ch. 13 ends)

Chapter 14

_My name is Kurosaki Ichigo._

_From as far back as I can remember, I've been able to see ghosts._

_This day was no exception._

_"Hey! Hey you, in that tree! What do you think you're doing?!"_

_The ghost above me looked bewildered that he'd been noticed. He sported black, thick-rimmed glasses that had a tendency to slide down his nose. He was balding, with spots of matted light brown hair in all the wrong places. He was probably middle-aged, if I were to guess._

_"You… can see me?" he asked in shock, clinging to the branch like his life depended on it—and it surely didn't._

_"I'm crazy; not blind, idiot!" I retorted, crossing my arms in annoyance._

_Sometimes I see ghosts so clearly, I have a tendency to confuse them for the living. Then again, some ghosts make a good case for themselves. Take this one for example._

_Picture me: minding my own business, taking a calm stroll through the neighborhood. Suddenly, I stumble across this pathetic excuse for a man, dangling in a tree, binoculars in hand, leaning in for that desperate view through an apartment window where a well-endowed woman took residence. There aren't a lot of people I can't stand in this world, aside from the Hollow… and the Arrancar… and the Espada… and Aizen… and, well, you get my point. But peeping Toms are near the top of that list (well, just below Aizen, the Hollow, The Arrancar, and the Espada). _

_"Get your pervy ass down here right this minute! I'm gonna beat some sense into you!"_

_"You _do_ realize I'm dead, right?"_

_I reevaluated my attitude. "Get your pervy ass down here so I can kill you a second time! Just 'cause you're dead, doesn't mean you're invisible! Jeez!"_

_The man fell abruptly at my call, having lost his balance between his wandering hand and drooling at the woman in the window. Looming over the man, whose pants remained caught at the ankles (and an unpleasant distraction, mind you), I sighed in exasperation._

_"Look, I'll come back later and give you a proper soul burial. Just, just, just stop it, please! Ugh! I can't even look at you!" I fumed, shielding my eyes as I continued my walk._

_Sometimes, ghosts can be just as creepy as humans. Sometimes, people are scarier. Take me, for example._

_**"Did you come out here to escape me?"**_

_"Waahh!" I tripped on my own foot, losing balance at the sound of my Hollow's voice returning._

_**"Or are you escaping from yourself?"**_

_"I'm not escaping from anyone. I'm just taking a walk."_

_**"You only take walks when you're trying to get away from something. Usually it's your own thoughts. Kind of futile, isn't it?"**_

_"What would you know?"_

_**"I know you're just seconds away from losing control. Wanna know how I know?"**_

_"No."_

_**"Hmm?"**_

_"Stop."_

_**"Let's test that, shall we? Just try and stop me."**_

- - - - - - - - - - - -

"Ichi-nii! Ichi-nii, what's wrong?"

Ichigo ran past his younger sister, Karin, who stood from her seat at the kitchen table, eyeing her brother curiously behind long black bangs. Her eyes widened, noticing the blood stains on his collar, his sleeve, his pants, and his face—realizing that he didn't seem to be suffering any wounds. Ignoring her, he made a mad dash up the stairs and toward his room, grasping desperately at the doorknob to the door assigned the number "15". The door flung open and he ran to his bed, clawing at the sheets and salivating like a rabid dog. The whites of his eyes grew larger—no, perhaps the irises grew smaller—in his frightened panic, forming a ball on his bed and directing the clawing towards his own head as he rocked back and forth. Bits of blood and skin crept into his fingernails.

"Damn you! Just go away! Leave me alone!" the boy screamed at himself.

_**"I can't go away. I'm a part of you. We are one and the same."**_

"WE ARE NOT THE SAME!"

Yuzu stood at her brother's door, paralyzed. She mirrored her mother's image: her hair, soft and short, a light shade of brown; her eyes, big and brown--usually full of joy, though now full of terror. Her body trembled in fear of her brother's harsh words and violent conduct that seemed to have come out of nowhere.

"Onee-chan… Onee-chan, I was just… worried—" Yuzu muttered, stumbling forward toward her brother's bed, reaching out to touch the back of his shoulders.

"RrrrrrrrUUUUUUAAHHHHUUURRR!" Ichigo leaped up, growling insanely and grabbing his sister's throat, lifting her high into the air. She kicked and struggled to break free, grabbing the hand that held her throat and attempting to push herself up to allow air to pass through. However, her struggles were in vain, and her face began to turn an awful purplish color.

_"_YUZUUUUUUUU!" Ichigo cried through gritted teeth, fighting the monster inside him. His grip loosened, tightened, then loosened again. His eyebrows furrowed in intense concentration, sweating profusely as he struggled to regain control. However, each time he'd loosen up a bit, the Hollow in him would respond by clenching even tighter, his nails piercing the skin until blood began to surface.

_**"You're making this much harder on her than it has to be."**_

_"I'm not the one trying to kill her!"_

_**"Aren't you?"**_

"Onee…chan… Why?" the girl gasped, her grip on his hands becoming weaker as she sank into his hand.

Ichigo dropped his lifeless sister to the ground, smirking a bit at the ease of the kill while his bangs overshadowed the blacks of his eyes. A slight frown emerged, though, as his amusement turned into disappointment.

"This is rather boring. Without claiming the throne, I'm limited to just your human abilities. I was hoping for a lot more excitement."

"Ichi-nii?" The voice of his remaining sister crept nearer, tapping lightly on the half-opened door shielding Yuzu's stiff form.

"Heh." A sinister smile crept on the boy's face, foretelling horrid deliberations on how to decapitate his next victim.

"UUUUGGGHH!" Glass shattered as Ichigo's human body was sent tumbling out of his second-story window.

"Damn it, why'd you do that, dumbass?! This is your body, too! Fuck!" His Hollow nagged, rubbing his injured arm and blood-stained face—a result of several shards of glass shattering in Ichigo's desperate attempt at saving his other sister. He scanned the grassy lawn surrounding him for a quick escape from neighborhood sightings. The Hollow within him became increasingly frustrated with his host's cries of resistance, which interrupted his train of thought.

A child's bone-chilling scream resounded from the room, sending nearby birds into flight.

"That's okay, King. I have other forms of entertainment."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Inoue Orihime, huh?" Ichigo rubbed his chin, eyeing the door and shuffling his feet at the concrete beneath them.

"Just a minute!" a cheery voice rang from the other side of the door.

Ichigo's Hollow let a devilish grin slide from ear to ear, anxious for the door to open. This was the girl he'd been hearing so much about. This was the girl who had cried for his host in times of turmoil. This was the girl he could feel pulsating through his veins at all times. This was the girl who had given him his first rush. She was sensational. Somehow, out of everything she'd gone through, the girl had grown stronger, colder; more cunning. When he felt the cries of her predator writhing in pain, being ripped apart by some unforeseen weapon she'd had at her disposal this whole time—it sent chills through him. This was the girl capable of murder.

He was amazed that, despite the absurd strength that radiated from the girl to him, Ichigo was entirely too self-consumed to notice. It pissed him off. Oh, how he'd wished to see her in all her beautiful glory—stained with the blood of those who'd betrayed her, stoic all the while. How could Ichigo not see the beauty in this progression? To be free of emotional attachment and obligation; this must have been the first time the girl had ever experienced such a thing.

He almost couldn't contain himself. Slowly, the door began to open, and a glimpse of auburn hair slipped through the crack!

"Kurosaki-kun? Is that you?"

Stepping into view, he grinned, slipping a hand between the small opening she'd left him and forcing his way inside. She gasped, surprised at the amount of force he'd applied in entering and pushing her back, and the blood spattered throughout his clothing and face.

"Are you okay, Kurosaki-kun?"

"Better than ever, thanks. How nice of you to ask," he responded, closing in on his prey as he addressed her slyly, "Orihime."

His eyes glowed bright yellow, surrounded by a black abyss. He grinned wildly as he pinned her to the floor, holding her arms with his elbows and her legs with his calves. She glared at him with hatred, squirming to break free of her captivation.

"You're… not… Kurosaki-kun!" she spat through clenched teeth.

"I'm not?" his eyebrows raised in false curiosity. "Who am I?"

Without giving her a chance to answer, he closed his eyes and leaned in, pressing his lips against hers in a forced moment of passion, catching her by surprise. Using that to his advantage, he slithered a tongue inside the opening between her soft lips, letting it slide against hers and urging her to return the motion. She was absolutely yummy; he could see why Keigo had found her so hard to resist.

Orihime's heart was beating a thousand times per second, feeling Ichigo's lips pressed against hers like a fantasy coming true. Her eyes closed, sinking into the sensation, willing herself to return the kiss. His right hand wandered from its position holding her arm to the delicate fabric concealing her breasts, further down until it slid beneath the top of her skirt. His eyes and his grin widened in ecstasy, having hit his target.

"_No! Inoue! You sick bastard!"_

"_**I don't see you stopping me."**_

"You're… Someone who's going to regret doing that!"

Ichigo's eyes shone with excitement as Orihime's fingers touched either side of her forehead, eyeing him with determination. However, there was a slight reluctance lingering within her heart; one that thrilled the Hollow even more. The body he inhabited was her weakness; with it, she would never surrender her full power to destroying him.

The flower hair clips behind Orihime's bangs disappeared, allowing her hair to fall freely. A triangular shield blocked his assaults and pushed him back against the coffee table. The air around her seemed to vibrate at a different frequency. Her eyes fixated on the boy, gaping at her happily.

"Koten Zanshun. I reject!"

A tiny black blur shot out from behind Orihime's shoulder towards the mangled form of Kurosaki Ichigo. The barriers surrounding either side of Tsubaki were thin and unstable, leaving the opponent an opening. Ichigo smiled at the ferocious fairy, lifting his left hand into a sort of "stop" signal. As Tsubaki lunged forward, Ichigo simply swatted at him like an annoying bug, sending him flying in the opposite direction, plunging into plaster.

"Tsubaki-kun!" Inoue reached out for her fairy, tears streaming in remorse for having used him below his potential.

Ichigo stood, composing himself and brushing away the wrinkles in his already-messy t-shirt. His eyes darted at the girl, licking his bleeding lower lip where she'd bitten him a little less-than-lovingly. Her shield was still strong, though wavering a bit as she let her concern for her "tool" distract her. Ichigo's Hollow turned toward the door, finding himself a bit bored once again with his body's limited abilities. He'd already killed six pedestrians and Ichigo's little sister in this form, but something just wasn't thrilling him about it the way he'd hoped it would.

"_**That Inoue girl. She's interesting. I didn't think she'd fight back at all, in this form. I'm kind of delighted."**_

"_My friends aren't always so predictable," Ichigo sneered._

"_**Be honest. Some part of you must have been hoping she wouldn't. You weren't resisting me with your usual enthusiasm."**_

"_Like it'd do any good. You'd just enjoy it more if I did."_

"_**Really. Am I that predictable now, too?"**_

"Where are you going?" Orihime asked angrily, panting from the energy she'd exhausted and the panic that had overwhelmed her.

The Hollow controlling Ichigo turned to look at her from the doorway, surprised. She was glaring at him in both disgust and concern, huffing as she grabbed at her chest. He smiled at her sweetly, then directed his eyes to the sky.

"Out to look for anything half as exciting as you, love."

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Hehe, yes. If Hollows could love, I guess it would be something like this. Maybe?

In any case, one more chapter to go! I think. I don't know, I'm just guessing. Probably a long one; it'll take me longer to write. Please **Read and Review**! I have a lot in store for you!


	15. Chapter 15

Last chapter! Sorry this took soooo extremely long. I have suffered from writer's block, extra shifts at work, and horrendous lameness. I hope the finale will make up for the insane block of time you've had to wait! It's long and full of plot twists! Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 15

Inoue awoke from a long night's rest, sitting up in bed and rubbing her weary eyes. As her eyes fluttered open with only the sun's rays from the window to provide her adequate light, she attempted to stretch, finding that her motions were being suppressed by some unknown weight. Ulquoirra hovered above her, his face just inches from her own. His body was just barely touching hers, still somehow able to pin her in place. A hand lifted from his side and motioned toward the girl's face, sending Orihime into hysterics.

"N-n-no! Don't touch me! Get away!" Inoue scrambled, clenching her eyes and her fists in defiance while kicking at him irrationally.

Smiling at the girl's needless whimpers of dread as she closed her eyes, preparing for the worst, he continued to gently stroke the left side of her cheek, lifting her chin in the direction of his face to meet her gaze.

"Your decision. I need it."

Orihime furrowed her eyebrows at the boy's insistence, his left hand still gripping her chin and forcing her eyes to meet his. The turquoise drawn-on tears on his face drew her to his large, observant green eyes. Ulquoirra's expression left little indication that he'd ever revealed emotion, in the past or present. His voice was firm and calm, apathetic to the happenings around him. She got the impression that her answer would have little, if any, effect on his disposition.

She opened her mouth, pushing herself to speak. But there was only one thing her mind was able to come up with. "Your… breath stinks," she whispered, covering her nasal passages with her palm in an offensive manner.

Ulquiorra's eyes widened in shock—the first emotion she'd seen from the espada. He hadn't expected such a rude response from the girl that, up until this point, had appeared to be polite and insecure. Allowing the comment to sink in, his lips curved into a slight smile and he released his hand from her face. The distance between them, however, remained the same, regardless of the odd commentary the girl had made.

"Aizen-sama did not say I could not kill you at your refusal. Any restraint on my part following your reply will simply be out of my own generosity."

"I never said I refused your proposal," she sneered, calming her resistance and limiting it to a spiteful glare.

"How about we settle this then? I've given you a week's deliberation. Right now all I want to hear from you is 'I accept' or 'I decline'. Should you refuse to respond, or give me any answer other than those I have provided, I will take my leave, assuming you to have refused. Now, what have you decided?"

Orihime opened her mouth, prepared to respond. "Hell no!" would have been her instinctual response. Working under Aizen, for the cause of destroying her beloved town and everyone she knew in it, in order to gain his own power and reign as Soul Society's new King? Of course she would refuse!

Although… her friends, her comrades, her classmates—they no longer seemed to stand beside her the way they had in the past. Could she really trust them? Fight beside them? Could she continue to protect them while her heart stopped beating with the same enthusiasm?

Was Aizen really more evil to her than those people whom she'd put her life at risk to protect? Keigo, Sado, Ichigo… they'd all turned on her and plagued her with painful memories. What had Aizen done to her personally?

And who was to say that Aizen's goals were evil? To reign as the new King of Soul Society; a place plagued with corruption and by no means without flaws—what was so bad about that? Most likely, Aizen's true goal was supreme power and not justice or a move for reorder in Soul Society, but, at this point, what did Orihime care either way?

Orihime did not personally know Aizen. She did not consider herself "betrayed" by Aizen. Aizen did not rape her. Aizen did not turn his back on her in her time of need. Aizen did not make empty promises. Aizen did not embrace her, and then strangle her in the next instant. Aizen did not toy with her trust, nor with her heart.

No, Aizen to her was not someone worthy of her hatred. Resentment was something Orihime reserved for people she once gave a shit about. And, in some cases, people she wished she didn't give a shit about anymore…

//--Flashback--//

"**Will you promise me something?" Orihime had asked, looking into those kind brown orbs that offered her both relief and disdain.**

"**What?" Ichigo had pondered, surprised by her sudden inquiry.**

"**Promise me that, the next time I see you… you will always be happy."**

**He had smiled reassuringly, delicately massaging her hands with his fingers. "I promise."**

//--End Flashback--//

Her eyes clenched shut as she felt them begin to water, recalling their next meeting of which she'd spoken. Ichigo, struggling to regain control of himself, undoubtedly torn apart on the inside by the actions of the monster manipulating his body. The way he'd pinned her to the floor, grinning wildly as devilish thoughts arose from within. His body and clothes already coated in blood; Inoue remembered looking into his clouded eyes and feeling his remorse and sadness for what he was about to do as well as for what he'd already done.

How long had it been since she'd seen Ichigo genuinely happy?

Ulquoirra still loomed above impatiently, awaiting the girl's response. His eyes followed her lips as they moved, forming the two words he'd been expecting from her all this time. Her eyes remained downcast and fearful, succumbing to his overwhelming presence. _He's suppressing his reiatsu and I'm still becoming faint from it. Does this boy really have so much power?_

He smirked, arising from his position. "Just as I'd thought."

Her heart pounded faster as he relieved her of his physical and spiritual pressure. She took a deep breath that she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

- - - - - - - - -

Ulquiorra stood before her, his face rigid and grim. Inoue could sense an overwhelming feeling of sadness about the boy; a sadness that he himself was probably no longer aware of, but one which still lingered from a former existence. It wasn't so much the drawn-on tears—in actuality, remainders of his mask perhaps left to signify the emotions he no longer bore—as the sense of senselessness about him; a purposeful unwillingness to reveal the vain emotions his fellow Arrancar became consumed by: anger, vengeance, overconfidence, or personal ambition.

In his hand, Ulquiorra held a bracelet intended for the girl to wear. It surprised him how calm and unrelenting she was in spite of the situation at hand and the huge decision she'd just made. Did she realize the extent to which her whole world would change? That she would soon be fighting those she'd come to consider dear friends in life, or at the very least healing those that would fight them and allowing for their deaths to come much more swiftly? Yes; he could see it in Orihime's face, the hours she'd already spent tormenting herself over these very details. He could see the determination in her eyes, the anger and hatred that gleamed within them, and the certainty she had come to grasp in her resolution. She knew very well what she was getting into.

"I want you to wear this device around your wrist. As long as you wear this, there will be a special reimaku (spiritual shell) that will form around you. Only Arrancar will be aware of your existence. At the same time, it will enable you to penetrate matter. Wear this and don't let go of it. I will allow you a 12 hour grace, in which you may bid farewell to only one person. Should that person become aware of your presence or you make any move that might signify turning your back on Aizen-sama, it will be considered a violation of my orders and you _will_ be punished. Understood?"

"Yes," the girl resounded solemnly.

"Don't forget: You may only bid farewell to _one person._"

_One person… One person…_

_How do I choose only one person to see in my last days on Earth? What do I say to a person who can't even hear my words, or see my lips as they utter them, or even become aware that I'm there at all? Is there anyone I even _want_ to see, knowing that I'd turned my back on them?_

_Yes. There is… at least… _one_ person._

_I can do this._

- - - - - - - - - -

Orihime stepped through the bedroom wall; an odd, tingly feeling she was not used to as a human being. She tripped slightly as she transcended, pretending that she'd somehow caught her foot on the material she was now able to easily slip past. There was something eerie about being able to walk through walls. The whole not-being-able-to-walk-through-walls thing was part of what made her feel human; though, if one were to make a list of factors that made a person human, not being able to walk through walls would most likely not be included on that list; though it's definitely an undeniable human trait.

Orihime laughed nervously, rubbing her head and lifting herself from the floor she'd fallen on. "Eh he he… I end up here…"

Glancing around the unfamiliar room, she shivered. Was she really here? Was she really going through with this? Her eyes fell upon the familiar boy across the room, stepping forward slightly as she spoke.

"To tell the truth, Tatsuki-chan, Ishida-kun, Kuchiki-san… there were so many people I would have liked to say goodbye to…" she began, trailing off as she sauntered over to the boy's bedside, gazing upon him with eyes full of wonder.

"You know, I… had a lot of things I wanted to do…

I want to be a teacher…

I also want to be an astronaut…

And also make my own cake shop.

I want to go to Mister Doughnuts and say 'I'll have them all!'

And I want to go to Thirty-One and say 'I'll have them all!'"

A sullen look took over the girl's face for a moment as she reflected on the lives she'd never have and the things she'd never get to do; the dreams she was about to leave behind. Shaking off the doubts, she leaned in toward the bed, a mischievous smile forcing its way across her face as she continued her rant with more optimism.

"Oh… I wish I could live life five times over! Then, I'd be born in five different cities. I'd stuff myself full with different delicious things five times each. I'd have five different jobs. And then… for those five times…" A devilish glare flickered in her eyes as her tone lowered.

"…I'd probably still kill you."

Sado's eyes widened in shock as terror struck him out of his slumber. Opening his eyes, he could see no one; he couldn't even sense a remnant of the reiatsu he was sure had awoken him. Suddenly, he could hear laughter within the shadows of his room, and a girl's figure manifested where he was certain no one had been standing. Her fingers, her toes, up to her hips, her collar, then finally the details of her face all pieced together, becoming clearer and more defined. In her hand, Orihime grasped a lamp that she'd snatched from the boy's bedside, lurking over him with it as a playful grin graced her lips.

"Goodbye."

Heaving the lamp above her head, she launched forward, allowing the heavy material to crash against the head of the strong, bronze-skinned boy. She laughed wildly as she smashed away all the disgusting features of his face, which had haunted her dreams and plagued her with shame throughout the days. Blood spattered on her face and coated the walls with fresh paint, but she persisted, even after the boy's hand had long since retracted and fallen stiffly off the side of the bed; even after his pulse had long since ceased and his breathing had long since subsided.

She lifted the lamp for yet another potentially fatal strike, crying out with a mixture of rage and blood-soaked tears. As she prepared to once again demolish the already-unrecognizable features of the boy that brought her so much grief, a hand stopped her in her tracks, grabbing her wrist tight with anger and forcing her to drop the lamp to the floor. Ulquiorra glared at her despicably, unimpressed by the girl's disobedience.

"You are coming with me. Your time has been cut short."

As the two ascended from the window, rising above the buildings purely for the show of dominance, Orihime beamed, overcome with a tremendous rush of insanity.

"I'm joining the dark side, bitches!!!" she taunted enthusiastically, unaffected by U lquiorra's displeasure with her behavior.

As she rose, she caught sight of a golden mop of spiky hair looking up at her towards the sky. His eyes were full of remorse and desolation, wiping the menacing grin from her face. Ulquiorra tugged her arm, dragging her into the black abyss leading to Hueco Mundo. Ichigo looked on in dismay as he watched his comrade abandon him as she must have felt he'd abandoned her.

- - - - - - - - - -

Orihime stood in her assigned room, her fingertips lightly tracing the delicate fabric of the comforter on her queen-sized bed. The pink canopy hanging over the posts of the bed were much to her liking; they reminded her of the innocence of her younger years, and provided much-needed color in her world of white. Her room here was quite large and elegant; fit for a princess, the Arrancar often mused, ripping on Aizen's preferential treatment while simultaneously playing on a fraction of the girl's name. She let out a sigh of discontentment, finding herself unhappy with the way her life had panned out, despite all the nice accommodations Aizen had provided.

Inoue had been working diligently for Aizen for almost two months with little regret in her decision to come to Hueco Mundo, aside from her horrendous misery here. Seeing Ichigo's saddened eyes, watching her as she followed Ulquiorra into the void, had triggered something quite unpleasant within her which she often liked to forget. He reminded her that she was still human: a fact that would surely have her annihilated were she to admit it in this place. In order to survive, Orihime had stripped herself of all emotion and human attachments. The pink hue that often graced her cheeks in her days amongst the real world had long since vanished, replaced by an awful pale unfamiliar with the sun's glare or human pleasantries.

The Arrancar along with the Espada were nowhere near close to accepting her into their ranks with arms outstretched; however, after a rather skillful demonstration in which she rebuilt Grimmjow's obliterated arm, few could deny her usefulness amongst them. Orihime could sense jealousy in the evil glares from the female Arrancar, either for her lavish room décor or, more likely, Aizen's profound interest in her. The women, unfortunately, were the least of her problems. It was the men who would eye her in the most disgusting ways; often a mix of lust and immobilizing revulsion. Those looks caused her the greatest discomfort.

Her daily toils often left her exhausted and with little energy to spare. After only a few hours of work, in which she used up quite a bit of power mending wounds and doing things of that sort, she would retire to her room, requesting that her sleep not be interrupted until she was called upon for her next session—usually a twelve hour slot of time. Lately even the twelve hour resting time was inadequate, leaving her groggy and out of focus. She wondered how long she could carry on her duties in this dazed state, and whether the dreariness that burdened her now was a consequence of her lack of human contact or some physical blunder about her.

Lifting the blanket from its death grip on the side of the mattress, she slipped between the covers and the satin sheets that lined her bed, sinking into what would most assuredly be a cherished slumber. Just as she was on the brink of heading off to dreamland, her eyes closed with the utmost enthusiasm, a knock at the door prevented her from dozing off. With great annoyance, she sat up in bed, calling to the person beyond the room.

"You may enter," she responded, knowing full well the identity of the person that dared to interrupt her sleep.

Ulquiorra opened the door, a stern look plastered on his face—or so she imagined, as it was dark, but that was the look he often carried. He crossed the room, stomping about in resentment for Aizen's leniency towards her as he admired the Espada-styled set up of her room. Reaching her bed, he sat at its foot, casting a dark glance toward her as though she'd done something unforgivable.

"You are much too careless, woman," he said, looking towards the window, mocking disinterest.

"Have I made some mistake?" she asked curiously, still drowsy.

He didn't respond to her question, but only left a moment of silence as he contemplated the information at his disposal. "Part of Aizen's requirements for your stay here is that you take care of yourself as well as the others. You have failed to uphold the first part of that obligation."

She blinked, inspecting him closely as he delivered this alarming message. "I have done all that I can. I sleep all that I can and my energy is still depleted. I visit with Aizen in a timely fashion at his every request. I've recovered several Arrancar from serious blows. I have done nothing but work and rest and eat. Where have I erred?"

"You're exhausted. Even a fool could tell. How useful do you think you'll be if you continue this charade in your condition? I suppose you haven't noticed the other signs, either."

"Signs…?"

His eyes bore into hers gravely with his next utterance. "You're pregnant."

Inoue's eyes expanded into watermelon-sized spheres of shock and anguish. She looked at him with anticipation, as though his words could somehow make the affliction dissipate. _How did he know?_

"Foolishly, despite the fact that you could have easily reverted your body to the state it was in before that boy had his way with it, you have continued to let the aftermath progress in complete ignorance. Did you think that by doing that the event might become less real? Did you think it would be just as easy to negate further down the line? Or… is that stupid look on your face just a mask you wear as you pretend not to have known for quite some time?"

She cringed slightly at his callous tone, wishing all the while that his speculations were not so close to the truth. She buried her head in her hands in shame, unable to bring herself to meet his fierce eyes.

"Do you think bearing a child will somehow ease your loneliness? That it will solve your problems? Grow up. Your baby would be disposable; a detestable abomination that would only infuriate the Arrancar further. How long do you think it would survive, being of no service to Aizen or his followers? How long before you grow distraught by the face of the boy that raped you—how long before you yourself bring upon his destruction?"

Orihime gritted her teeth and clenched her fist into a tight ball, her fingernails digging into her palm with such force that her knuckles became whiter than the snow.

"You think you know about me? You think I didn't already reverse those effects upon coming to Hueco Mundo? Do you think Aizen would have allowed for that?"

She panted, expressing an explosion of emotion that she'd withheld throughout her stay here. Ulquiorra looked quite taken aback by the girl's words, unsure of what to make of the situation. He'd been observing the girl for quite some time now—at first, in the human world, out of Aizen's orders; later, as his interest in the girl's peculiarity peaked, his scrutiny went beyond the call of duty.

"Didn't you know what my 'punishment' was? Didn't you wonder why I still was allowed all these nice things in my living quarters, why all the female Arrancar despise me and the men only wish they could have me, while never daring to go near? Didn't you wonder why Aizen always calls me to him, and simultaneously requests your departure?"

The tears were flowing like a river down her cheeks now, a surprising phenomenon that struck a chord with Ulquiorra. He was beginning to piece together the puzzle of events and the truth of the woman's words; suddenly all his previous speculations made him feel a fool.

"Aizen… he… requested that I not use my powers to revert the process. What else am I to do? What would you have me do?" Upon the last inquisition, she looked up toward Ulquiorra with teary eyes; confiding in him as her only "companion" and confidant, though exceedingly apathetic and not the least bit human.

Ulquiorra shifted awkwardly, his nerves unleashing a tremendous fury throughout his body as the girl gripped his shoulders with expectation. _What does she want me to tell her? To go against Aizen's orders, to run away? Fool._

"You already know what you must do. Do as Aizen-sama wishes." With that, he stormed out of the room, a mess of curiosity overwhelming him about his master.

_What could Aizen want with some Shinigami-human hybrid? Does he wish to raise it as his own? To train it as a Shinigami? No, most likely… Yes, it could only be for… experimentation. He wants a Vaizard in his ranks._

_This is something I am not to know. I was not following procedure in coming to her room tonight. It was uncalled for. Though merely out of concern for her usefulness to Aizen-sama, I might easily be found out as withholding such dreadful information._

Strolling through the corridors deep in thought, Ulquiorra was caught off guard by the voice of his commander.

"Ulquiorra. What brings you to these quarters at this time? There is nothing that awaits your interest here," Aizen cooed.

He froze. _Did he know? Has he seen me, or predicted my movements? No, I must play dumb. _"No, sir. As it is my duty to do so, I was merely overseeing that the woman got her rest so that she may give her all to Aizen-sama."

Aizen's intense eyes peered down at the boy. "I should hope so. I have entrusted you to do so for a reason, Ulquiorra. I know that you wouldn't infringe upon my trust."

Ulquiorra bowed to the man, withholding a certain detestation for him now that he couldn't place. "You are correct, sir."

Aizen held his glance just a moment longer before continuing his path in silence. Ulquiorra didn't like the questioning glance Aizen-sama had given him, nor did he much appreciate his master's underhanded manner of withholding such information. He couldn't say what it was about the woman, but something sparked his interest in her. Something about the way she'd looked at him had left an impression.

_I will never let that child fall into your hands… Aizen._

- - - - - - - - - -

"Ichigo… do you really think she killed him? Sado?" Rukia asked, gripping his hand tightly with hers, her fingers interlacing his.

He shook his head, not wanting to believe, but certain that, for whatever reason, Inoue had lost it similar to the way he had. "Yes. I do." He looked up toward the sky in wonder. "Soul Society has completely ruled her out as a traitor. They told us, if we're ever to meet her again, to kill her on the spot. But I don't know that I can do that."

Rukia paused, daring herself to ask the next question. "Do you think we'll ever see her again?"

"I hope so."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Well, that's the end! What do y'all think? I know it was INSANELY long and plot-twisting, but I just had to write it all 

Personally, this chapter made me happy. Except for the whole… taking forever to write it thing. Sorry about that.

I have a new story I'm brainstorming. If I write it that is, it will be a parody of Oscar Wilde's play "Lady Windermere's Fan" (hilarious, btw, and he is my favorite author, so I recommend about anything by him) called "Lord Urahara's Fan". Only problem? Not a lot of people on here have ever read Lady Windermere's Fan. But if I write it, it'll be a far cry from the Bleach storyline, but pretty frickin hilarious.

Please READ and REVIEW!!! There will be no more!!!


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